Aristotle's Mistake
by Merina Green
Summary: The intrusion of outside forces-most notably friction-prevents things from behaving perfectly according to their nature. Running forever seems easy, especially when one fails to figure in family. This is the 3rd installment of Bella and Jasper's adventure
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ** Well, here we are once more! "Aristotle's Mistake" is the third instalment of Bella and Jasper's adventure. It is definitely NOT a 'stand alone' fic. Jasper hates loose ends – we all know that by now. They make him nervous. And he's left a lot of loose ends floating around out there. It's time to TRY and tie them all up! While he's trying to do THAT, Bella's trying to adjust to living with the family again. You can imagine how well THAT'S going. There's a lot of 'ensemble' stuff in this one, featuring the Cullen Family Players.

Once again, JaspersDestiny is onboard as my Super Beta. And, once again, she has my many many thanks. If I ever win the lottery, she'll have an all-exense paid World Tour, too!

Chapters will most likely be going up on Tuesdays. Usually. This one, obviously, is an exception. Blame it on vacations ending and the impending return to work.

**Things I know nothing about:** How things work at the FBI. I'm totally with Quincy on this – all my information comes from the X-Files.

Chapter 1

"Christina! You're back from Mother Russia! How was the homeland?" Quin yelled, popping out of his office when he saw her walk by.

Chris Vilkas sighed. Quincy Anderson: geek extraordinaire, seer of aliens behind every assignment, annoyer of superiors, and her sometimes partner. She still couldn't believe he'd made it _into _the FBI, let alone through all the subsequent training. Especially when she knew for a fact that he'd actually put on his application that Fox Mulder was his hero and main reason for wanting to become an agent.

They actually let the man carry a gun. It boggled the mind—Christina's mind, anyway.

"For the hundredth time, Quin, I'm not Russian. My parents were Czechoslovakian." She rolled her eyes, even if her back was to him, preventing him from appreciating the action. She'd really been hoping he wouldn't be around. It was almost midnight, for God's sake. It should have been safe for her to just come in, drop off her shit, and crawl home for at least 24 hours of much deserved sleep. And maybe a hot shower...with _real _soap and shampoo. "And that has got to be the worst attempt at a Russian accent I have ever heard. You sound more like Bela Lugosi in _Dracula_."

Quin cackled. "I must be channelling him, or something. Look, you won't believe what I've got to show you!"

"You're right. I won't believe it. Whatever it is, I won't believe it. I _never _believe it. Look, Quin, as much as I love you and your theories, I am really tired right now. I've just wasted an entire month crawling around the slums of Moscow, tracking down false leads, with the KGB following my every move. Do you know how hard it is to work while you've got that creepy feeling that your every move is being watched?"

"There isn't a KGB any more, Chris," he pointed out.

"Whatever." She grunted and dumped her bags on the floor, kicking them under her table. She'd sort them out tomorrow. Or the next day. "Whatever they're calling themselves now. Eyes on me the entire damn time! No wonder people think Russians are paranoid, if that's what it's like living there. And all for nothing. Dead ends... Every single lead was a dead end. I just wasted a month of my life."

Her words seemed to sidetrack him from whatever he'd been so eager to tell her, and she smiled to herself. Crazy as her partner was, when he could focus on it he was really good at his job. "What about that Italian connection?"

"The deadest lead of all, literally. Which is a pity, since that one might have been real. I actually stopped by Volterra on my way back to the States, just to confirm what I'd been told. The whole place was nothing but a burned out, gutted ruin. The locals weren't very helpful either. Whatever happened was recent, within the last couple of years. I couldn't get permission to go in and see what—if anything—was left."

"That doesn't usually stop you," Quin said, looking at her thoughtfully.

"In this case, it did. The place looked ready to collapse. And I'm pretty sure if it had collapsed on me, the town elders wouldn't have been too upset. I'm also sure they would have neglected to mention it to anybody. No, I just took some pictures and came on home. We're going to have to go about this from a different angle. But not before I get my vacation."

"That's actually part of what I've got to show you," he said excitedly, grabbing her hand and trying to drag her back to his office.

She yanked her hand away. "No, you don't have to show me. You don't have to show me anything right now, Quin. I'm going home, I'm taking a shower, and I'm sleeping for the next few days. As soon as this shit is wrapped up, I'm taking some of that vacation time that I'm owed. Some place warm and sunny with a beach." She stalked off down the hall, not slowing or looking back at him even when she reached the elevators.

"Don't be packing those bikinis just yet," Quin murmured, watching her disappear through the doors.

~AM~

Three days later, Christina appeared back in the office feeling like a new woman. She really had gone home and slept for almost 24 hours. She hadn't even needed a sleep aid. The fact that she had been in a real bed for the first time in a month—_her _bed, on top of it—was all the drug she'd needed. After that, she'd treated herself to a day at the spa, followed by a much needed appointment with her hairdresser. To top it off, she'd spent an afternoon shopping. Now, after a morning locked in her own office sorting out the information from her trip and preparing her preliminary reports, she felt ready to tackle anything—including whatever her crazy partner so desperately wanted to show her.

"Okay, Quin, show me your aliens," she said, leaning against his door. "You've got exactly 25 minutes before I'm due upstairs for my debriefing."

His back was to her as he worked at one of his computers. "Actually, they aren't aliens. They're...well, after you see it, tell me what _you _think they are." He turned to wave her over and choked. "Oh, my God! You cut your hair! Why would you cut your hair?" He looked shocked.

"Because I felt like I'd brought home way too much of the Moscow streets trapped in it." Her hand went up almost unconsciously to feel her short blond hair. Once down below her shoulders, it now barely brushed the tops of them.

"But, but...I liked your long hair!" he said.

"And if you were my lover, I might have taken that into consideration," she said sharply. "But you're not. Now, show me the aliens before I change my mind and tell you I'm only watching work-approved videos."

"Oh, but that's the beauty of this one, Chris," he said, turning back to his computers. He didn't sound nearly as enthusiastic as he had previously, though, and Christina knew it would be a while before she was 'forgiven' for her new hairstyle. She sighed internally. She'd suspected for a long time that Quin harbored some sort of crush on her, but this was the first time he'd ever shown any truly outward sign of it. "It _is _work-related. In fact, it's directly related to our current assignment."

"_Our _current assignment? When did _we _get a current assignment? I thought _my _assignment was wrapping things up, and then I was getting a break…"

"Yeah, well, things changed while you were gone. You heard about the fall of Heriberto Hidalgo's empire in northern Mexico?"

"No details, just that there had been a major shake-up."

"Yeah, well, that's putting it mildly."

"Normally this stuff falls under Mexico's jurisdiction. Do they think there is some sort of a U.S. link? Or was he tied to that mess I was following up in Moscow?"

"Well, the Mexican officials aren't being too cooperative right now, to put it mildly again, but yeah, we have reason to believe there might be some sort of a U.S. connection. Seems like Heriberto was into more than just drug and weapons trafficking—"

"Human?"

"Will you stop interrupting me? You only have 15 minutes left before your meeting, and I want you to see this! And, yes, human trafficking. When it all went down a few months ago, a lot of the human cargo managed to escape, and a lot of _those _folks were American."

"Well, that's great...and now they're free. Happy ending for some. What does that have to do with us?"

"Just...watch." He spun the large flat screen in her direction and hit the play button.

"Now, this footage comes from Heriberto's compound, El Coyote, in Nuevo Laredo. Obviously, it occurred before it became the burned out hole in the ground that it is today. There's no date on the footage, but based on the fact that these people turned up on the streets of Nuevo Laredo soon after the compound was destroyed, we're assuming that this took place fairly shortly before said destruction occurred."

Chris nodded absent-mindedly, waving at him to be silent while she watched the scene unfold. There was no sound, but at the distance it was shot sound wouldn't have been helpful anyway. She didn't need sound to know she was looking at a large group of people milling around aimlessly in what appeared to be some sort of large compound. The shot showed the edges of buildings, but not enough of the actual buildings themselves to get any useful information. It was some sort of security camera, then. The people seemed to be appearing from the direction of one of the larger buildings, but in general, after appearing in the compound, they just wandered about.

"Why aren't they all just leaving?" she asked softly, puzzled. "I'm assuming these are the trafficking victims?"

"They were all pretty whacked out when the authorities started picking them up. They showed evidence of having been drugged for a very long time. Some of those folks had been missing for two years or more, and some of them indicated that the gates to the compound were closed and locked when they were first released. It was—_is_—a real mess. Just watch. There, at the right of the screen..."

Christina watched. Two figures appeared on the screen. They were tall, male, had light colored hair... It was difficult to tell at this distance, and the footage was black and white, but she would guess they were both blonds. They seemed to argue for a moment before the shorter one turned and walked away. The taller one grabbed his arm, and then the shorter one swung around and punched him. The taller one let him go, and he continued toward the crowd of milling humans. After a moment, the first one lunged after him and tackled him, landing a couple of punches before apparently scooping up a handful of dirt and shoving it in his face.

"What the hell...?"

"Just watch..." Quin whispered.

The figures jumped up, but the argument seemed to be over. The shorter one started wiping his face with his shirt, and then suddenly he turned and lunged at a nearby figure.

"Oh, my God..." Christina gasped, simultaneously stepping back from the screen and leaning further in to look closer. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?"

"If you think he's just ripped that dude's throat out, then yes, he appears to be doing what you think he's doing. Now, just watch. It gets better."

The crowd milling around might have been drugged, but not so drugged that they didn't realise something was very, very wrong. Christina watched as panic ensued in the group of people. The first figure appeared to step towards the..._attacker_, but then stepped away again when the man stood up before lunging at another person—an older woman this time. Christina couldn't really blame the taller man. She wouldn't want his attention turned on her, either, and it didn't look as if he was armed—or maybe he was, and he just wasn't all that bothered by what was happening. Although, it did appear that he'd tried to stop the attacker at the beginning...

She watched in shock as the man continued attacking people, obviously killing them as their bodies were dropped lifelessly to the ground when he was done doing...whatever he was doing to them. Her mind immediately went to the thought that he was feeding—feeding off them before discarding them. His companion made one more attempt to approach him before retreating with his hands raised in the universal signal of surrender. He turned and walked back through the crowd of people, who were now clearly more than a little panicked. A woman appeared—long straight hair, probably also blond, based on the light color. She approached him, and the two began arguing and gesturing at their companion, who continued to attack...and feed.

Christina's mind refused to accept that. That was _not _what she was seeing.

After arguing for a couple minutes, the woman stomped off towards the other man, who was now crouched over his fourth victim. She grabbed him by the ear and dragged him upright, shaking her finger at him. Christina didn't need sound to imagine what was being said.

It was surreal.

For a moment, all three figures conferred before the attacker disappeared from the screen to the right, the woman disappeared to the left, and soon the released victims seemed to be drifting in that direction. The tall man continued to stand where he was, not moving.

_Really _not moving.

Not moving in a really, _really _creepy way. Suddenly, though, he, too, turned and disappeared from the screen.

Disappeared really, _really _fast. Christina swore she didn't even see him move. One moment he was there and the next he was gone. Creepy. Definitely creepy.

The woman soon reappeared and began to almost herd the people back towards the left. Presumably, she'd opened whatever gate had been keeping them in before. It was like watching someone herd sheep—or chase chickens, really, was more like it.

The two men reappeared, and the attacker now wore different clothing.

_How nice_, Christina thought, _he's cleaned up_. The two men spoke for a few moments before the attacker left again. The woman now appeared, having cleared the crowd from the screen, and she and the tall man spoke for a few minutes. The man gestured in the direction that the attacker had disappeared. He rejoined them a few minutes later, they talked again, and then he walked off again.

Christina would give a lot to know what they were saying.

After he disappeared, the man and woman remaining set about _cleaning up_. That was the only way Christina could describe it. They went over to the bodies laying in the dirt, and they each picked up two, one in each hand, effortlessly.

"What _are _they?" she whispered.

"You're only now asking that?" Quin whispered back.

They both lapsed back into silence. Soon the couple—as Christina now thought of them—appeared again. They now had a black truck and appeared to be waiting—presumably for their friend, the attacker. The woman pulled out a phone and handed it to the man, who fiddled with it for a moment before bringing it to his ear.

"Did we try tracing—" Christina began.

"No luck there," Quin answered.

"How about a close-up of the number he was—"

"The angle was bad."

"Okay...shhhhh!"

Quin smirked. Finally he had something that caught her interest.

With the phone call complete, the woman got into the truck in the driver's seat. The attacker suddenly appeared next to the truck, and the two men talked for a few moments. Soon, however, the attacker was looking around the compound, and a second later he was looking right at the camera. He raised his hand and pointed at the camera, and the other man turned to look, too. The attacker opened the truck door and rummaged around inside before coming out with an assault rifle. He pointed it directly at the camera and the screen dissolved into static.

Christina stumbled back from the computer screen.

"That was some nice shooting..." she said, dazed at what she'd just seen. Her mind was having a difficult time processing it all.

"Especially at that distance," Quin agreed. "Don't you have a meeting to go to?"

"Shit!" she said, looking at her watch and running out the door.

~AM~

To say she was distracted during her debriefing would be an understatement. Luckily, her superiors apparently were able to get everything they felt they needed from her before dismissing her—but not before they made sure that she was aware of her next assignment.

Oh, she was aware all right. It was difficult to get the video Quin had showed her out of her head.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded, entering Quin's office and slamming the door behind her. "Was that some sort of a joke?" It had to be. Quin was playing her. It wouldn't be the first time he'd pulled something like this.

"That, my dear Chris, is our next assignment. Didn't they tell you upstairs?"

"Well, yes...but I thought it was some sort of set-up, something you'd faked, put together...you know, as some sort of a welcome home present."

"Oh, no. In fact, I'm hurt that you'd even think that."

"Whatever. Remember the whole 'the president is an alien' thing back in 2000?"

"Yeah, well, _that _was funny. You can't deny that. But, no, this isn't a joke. Heriberto Hidalgo's cartel has fallen, and it seems like these three might have had a large hand in it, especially since, you know, within an hour of the presumed time of that video his entire compound was nothing more than a large smoking crater on the outskirts of Nuevo Laredo, and nobody has seen or heard from him or any of his higher-ups since then."

"Then where did we get the video?"

"Actually," Quin chuckled nervously, "NBC."

"What?"

"Yeah, copies of the footage seemed to arrive simultaneously at several of the large networks here in the States about two weeks ago. Anonymously. Hand delivered. No prints. Actually, only NBC, CNN, and FOX even bothered to look at it. CNN and NBC contacted us immediately. FOX started _playing _it immediately, and so did the Mexican networks that received copies. After we saw the tape, we contacted several other stations, who checked around and found that they had also received copies. The original copies are all now in our possession, but of course—"

"It's out there in cyberspace now," Christina finished. The information age made their job both easier and harder. It had gotten to the point that you couldn't take a step or breathe without it being documented. It also meant that every step you took could be altered digitally and manipulated at will.

"Is it real?"

"As far as our boys can tell, yes. It has not been altered or tampered with. And we have other videos and pics now that sort of lend it credibility."

Christina sighed and collapsed in a chair. Visions of herself lying on the beach, drink in her hand and shades over her eyes, were fading rapidly. "Okay, show me what you've got."

~AM~

Close-ups of the two men as they turn to look at the camera immediately before destroying said camera gave them decent but blurry head shots—decent enough for "Have you seen this man?" posters should they end up going that route, which at this point they weren't. There still wasn't enough proof that they weren't Mexican nationals, let alone from the U.S. As things currently stood, it was still an internal matter for their neighbors to the south, unless it could be tied somehow to someone or something this side of the border. Right now their job—and that of their support team—was to make sure that it wasn't tied to any activities by U.S. groups.

"Do the photos trigger anything in our database?"

"Nope, not so far. We're still looking," Quin said. "Right now, though, they appear to be new players."

"New _sick _players," Christina said. "What the hell was that one guy doing?"

"You know what he was doing," Quin said quietly.

"I know what it _looked _like he was doing," Christina corrected him. "So, what, we need to be on the look-out for an up and coming drug lord who hires hit men that like to eat people?"

"Well...maybe a drug lord who likes to hire vampires. And he wasn't eating them."

"_That _is stupid. And you can stop right there with your supernatural bullshit, Quin. If this comes onto our territory, we are looking for a killer who has his own way of doing things. Maybe he just thinks he's a vampire. God knows there are enough of those freaks running around these days. Have any of the survivors—_escapees_—been interviewed?"

"Most of them are still hospitalized, at least the ones that were from the States. We've taken statements, such as they are, from most of them. They all seem to corroborate each other. They were kidnapped—from vacation, from work, but all, apparently, taken from _south _of the border—and held captive. Their time in captivity is blurry, at best. They weren't outright abused, necessarily, but neither were they well cared for. Kept drugged most of the time, kept in cages communally—evidently in one of those large warehouses you can see at the edge of the video. We have satellite pics of everything from before the compound blew up. We knew the man was trafficking guns and drugs but, to be honest, there were never any signs that he was moving people, too. Of course, we've only really been watching him closely the last couple years, and according to when all these folks went missing, they've been held there longer than that. Some of them went missing three and four years ago."

"Really? That seems odd. Doesn't seem very...um, economical, business-wise."

"Very odd. But it gets better! There used to be a lot more of them, according to some of the more..._alert _ones, but their captors early on culled the younger, more...um, 'nicer' looking victims as they would arrive at the warehouse. Those folks were never seen again."

"Don't need to wonder too much about what happened to them," she muttered.

"No, not really. We have a couple people trying to trace down leads on that end. But the rest of the people...well, it's really odd. No demands were ever made. No ransom demands were sent to families or employers. And they aren't your usual sex-trade victims. They're all fairly healthy, sure, but we're talking middle aged men and women here...or people that were, to put it bluntly, _not _in their physical prime, let alone attractive. Their captors never really interacted with them. There were only one or two guards in the building at any one time. They were kept virtually sedated the entire time. Able to care for themselves, but barely. Fed regularly, but if they got sick they were removed. In fact, evidently people were regularly removed from the cages, and those that were never came back. They're all pretty terrified, just relaying what little they remember. And if you do end up talking to them face-to-face, tread carefully when talking about their captors. They go into hysterics and start screaming stuff about 'red glowing eyes'." He watched her expectantly, waiting for her reaction.

She sighed. "I'm going to be running up against your little green men at every turn with this job, aren't I?"

"Pretty much," he said smugly. "And, hey, don't forget what you saw with your own two eyes—those two in the video picked up two bodies _each _and carried them effortlessly, one in each hand."

"Yeah," she muttered, "but I'm sure they weighed a lot less after having all their blood drained out."

Quin didn't reply, but his smirk let her know that he'd heard her.

"All right, what else do you have?"

"Okay, we made a few calls down to Laredo and talked to the cops to see if anything interesting had happened on our side of the border during that time frame, and...bingo! This is from The Red Roof Inn in Laredo, taken the evening before the compound exploded over in Nuevo Laredo—which, by the way, happened just after dawn."

He hit a button and Christina leaned in to watch the screen intently. The quality was extremely poor but it told her enough.

"Evidently, the folks on the third floor called the manager to complain about a group of three people causing a disturbance. A fairly destructive disturbance, at that. The police were eventually called in, but the troublemakers had left by then, after causing some major damage to one of the rooms and threatening several of the guests that had tried to intervene. A copy of the surveillance camera footage was provided to us...but as you can see, it's fairly useless."

Fairly useless, yes. It was an outdoor camera, facing the parking lot, and the quality was grainy and jerky. It showed three figures racing across the parking lot and getting into a Toyota Prius. The car was then driven across the median strip into the parking lot next to the hotel before it disappeared from the screen.

"By the time the police came back out, the car was gone and they were unable to follow it. But look!" He backed the video up and did a close-up on the figures as they crossed the lot. "It's our three from the compound."

Christina nodded. "Could be, could be..."

"It is," Quin insisted. "We faxed the hotel manager the blow-ups we got from the camera in the compound, and he confirmed it. The shorter man—the one doing the eating—is the one who rented the room. He was alone when he rented it, but later the manager saw both him and the taller man down in the lobby. It stuck out in his head because," now Quin was smirking, "the shorter one—our attacker—had come down to complain that the bed in his room was broken, and the manager was pretty sure it hadn't broken on its own. The man rented a total of three rooms on the third floor, but the manager only remembers ever seeing two people."

"Any additional footage?"

Quin shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. They wipe the drive each evening if there aren't any complaints from the night before. And they only record at night. Just a couple of outside cameras. It's not a real high-end joint, you understand."

"How about a name? If he rented rooms, he had to have had a name."

"He had a name, all right. Jack Bauer."

Christina dropped her head to the desk and banged it a couple of times, hoping it would help. "A real funny man."

"Oh, yeah."

"What else?"

"Well, it turns out Jack Bauer had been checked in at The Embassy Suites across town a few days earlier, but he only stayed two nights before checking out. And The Embassy Suites _does _keep their surveillance footage longer. So, here we go..."

Quin hit a couple buttons and then another scene appeared on the screen. "I've already edited out all the stuff we've deemed useless, but it's available in its entirety for you to watch later. Here we go—Mr. Bauer exiting the elevator into the lobby."

"That's not the same woman that was in the compound?" It came out as a question. This woman was short, too, but her hair was long and dark. Her head remained down, however, so Christina couldn't be sure.

Quin shrugged, pausing the video. "She could be wearing a wig, I suppose. But, no, we don't think it's the same woman."

"Who is this?"

"No clue. The only time we see her is in this one set of videos. To be honest, we assume that she's just a...um, prostitute."

"Never assume!" Christina snapped. Although, the way the girl was dressed, it probably _was _a good guess.

"I know, I know! But we never even get a good face shot of her. And, believe me, the team has combed over the rest of the videos. Anyway, shall I continue?"

"Please do."

"Okay, fast forward a bit...and we have a shot of them in the hotel bar. The lighting sucks, I know, but it's clear our Mr. Bauer is here to meet—surprise!—another woman."

Christina watched as the three interacted at a table in the otherwise empty bar—or, rather, as the man and the new arrival interacted. The first woman, with the long dark hair, kept her gaze to the ground and was ignored, for the most part, by her companions. The new arrival appeared to be Hispanic, also female, fairly young, and well dressed. They conferred for a bit, and then the woman left.

"Well, that's it. I actually spoke to the bartender a couple days ago. He vaguely remembers that night. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he said the whole group made him nervous. Mr. Bauer checked out two days later."

Christina snorted. "The bartender probably didn't want his throat ripped out! Okay, so...we have Mr. Bauer meeting with a clearly Hispanic woman, and a few days later we have Mr. Bauer at the scene of a soon-to-be destroyed Mexican drug cartel leader's compound, with some questionable activities in between. I admit, it sounds suspicious...maybe...given that we know how certain things ended. Were you able to trace down anything to one Mr. Jack Bauer?"

It was Quin's turn to snort. "Of course. He apparently sprang to life from thin air the moment he checked into The Embassy Suites in Laredo."

"Of course. How about that car—the Prius? Anything on it?"

"The team is working on that."

"Is there any sign—any at all—that this could be tied to a group here in the U.S.?"

"So far, no. None of the groups we're watching have shown any indication at all that they're involved in this."

"So, either we're going to wrap it up fairly quickly and it'll be all Mexico's problem or we're going to find out that there's something major going on right here at home under our noses that we knew nothing about."

"That pretty much sums it up. You sound almost like you want it to be their problem."

Thinking back to the first video he'd shown her and the grisly outcome some of the people in it met, she shivered. "Yeah, I think for once maybe I do. What about you?"

Quin considered the question for a moment. "I think I want to find out what's really going on here," he finally said quietly. Then he brightened. "But hey, in the meantime, are you up for a trip to Texas? You said you wanted sun."

"Yeah, so not what I had in mind. Let me go home and pack."

"Better hurry!" Quin said. "Our flight leaves tonight at 8."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Family. You gotta love 'em. I, personally, have not yet recovered from visiting mine over Christmas.

Chapter 2

"Well, look who decided to finally come home!" Emmett boomed, opening the front door to reveal Jasper, Bella, Peter, and Charlotte. He made no move to step aside and let them through the door, instead letting them become gradually more bedraggled-looking in the steady drizzle while he called over his shoulder in a sing-song voice. "Moooom, Daaaad, Jasper and Bella are home!"

"It's about fucking time!" came a distinctly female shriek from somewhere inside the house.

"Tell me that's not 'mom'," Peter whispered, leaning in closer to Jasper.

"_That_ is my lovely wife," Emmett said, smirking. "And you'd do well to stay out of her way. She's not happy with any of you. In fact, Petey boy, I'm questioning your sanity for agreeing to even show up here with Jasper and Bella."

"Huh," Peter said, standing back again. "I don't remember her being so..._shrill_."

"Yeah, well, she's not a big fan of stress. And you all have caused a lot of stress lately. So, she's got a lot of pent up anxiety, and it's got your names on it. Won't you come in?" He finally stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.

All four of them hesitated.

"You know, Jasper," Peter began, backing away, "maybe Charlotte and I can just...stay in the garage or something."

Jasper's hand shot out behind him and grabbed Peter by his arm before he could dodge it. "I don't think so, friend. Trust me, her bark is worse than her bite."

"I heard that, Jasper Whitlock Hale Cullen—or whatever the hell you're calling yourself now!" Rose shrieked, somehow even a little louder. "Get your ass in here right now! It will only hurt for a little while!"

"Now where have I heard that before?" Peter said thoughtfully, reluctantly following Jasper and Bella through the front door.

"Good to see you again, Petey," Emmett said good-naturedly. "How'd you enjoy that entertainment system I set you up with?"

"I enjoyed it just fine till about five days ago," Peter grumbled. "Then it all kinda got shot to shit."

"Yeah...sorry about that. If I'd known that was what it was for, I might have not brought it out to you. But you learn pretty quickly it's best to just go along with what Alice says. Things usually don't turn out well when you don't."

Peter snorted. "I'd hate to see 'don't turn out well' if that is what you call 'best'," Peter grumbled, holding Charlotte's hand and trailing the group into the large living room, where apparently the entire Cullen family was waiting for them.

"Jasper, Bella...thank goodness you're finally home!" Esme said, jumping up from where she'd been sitting next to Carlisle on the couch and crossing the room to hug them both. Carlisle was behind her, and he also reached out to draw them both in for hugs. Peter backed away nervously at their approach, pulling Charlotte with him.

"You're never leaving again, do you hear me?" Esme whispered into Bella's ear. "Never. You need to stay here with us, where it's safe."

"Um, yeah..." Bella said hesitantly. She looked over at Jasper, who merely rolled his eyes at her.

"Peter, Charlotte," Carlisle said, holding his hand out to Peter, who took it cautiously before shaking it firmly. "Good of you to accompany them. Thank you for all your help."

"Yeah, well, after we had to torch the cabin, there really wasn't much on our agenda. We figured Jasper here was in a spot of trouble, and since we, um, seemed to be a part of it, we thought we might as well just come along and stick it out with him. If you all don't mind, of course..."

"Not at all, not at all," Carlisle said. "I think you're right—this is going to affect all of us, and the more people we have trying to work on fixing it, the better."

Rose snorted from her position on the couch—next to where Emmett had seated himself—but offered no snide comment, much to Jasper's and Bella's surprise. "That's putting it mildly," she said.

"Before that, though," Carlisle continued, ignoring Rosalie, "if you wouldn't mind telling us everything that happened to you all down in Mexico, it would certainly help in making future decisions. The bits and pieces from Alice's visions gave us very little, and what you told us over the phone was bleak enough…but in light of recent events, it's even more important that we have a more detailed idea of what happened."

Jasper looked at Bella and then at Peter and Charlotte, who all nodded at him. Taking a deep breath, he began. Bella took over and told them what happened to her after she was taken from the hotel. Peter and Charlotte filled in where they could, especially about what occurred while Jasper was 'indisposed', as Esme preferred to call it.

When they were finished with their story, there was silence for a moment as the vampires processed what they'd been told. Then they all started talking at once.

"RPGs?" Emmett whistled. "Wicked, man! I had no idea they'd be so dangerous to us... That is, that's just..."

"I was afraid this would start being a problem as their technology improved," Carlisle said. "Especially once the arms race began in earnest. But to know that it's been actively used against us, by humans that seem to be aware of what we are and what our weaknesses are, is very disturbing."

"It just figures that, once again, we have to pack up and move because of something Jasper did," griped Rose. Bella managed to shoot her a glare before Jasper poked her and hissed, "Drop it," in her ear.

"Then it was even worse than I imagined..." Alice said sadly, shaking her head.

"Terrifying," Esme whispered. "That poor woman. The humans really destroyed her coven with _bombs_?"

Everyone turned to look at her, shock on their faces.

"I mean," she back-pedalled quickly, "I can certainly see why that would send her 'round the bend. I mean, if something like that happened to my family, I'd do just about anything for revenge. But it doesn't excuse what she did to Bella, though!"

"She was 'round the bend, as you put it, long before that happened," Jasper said. "But, yes, that certainly didn't help her sanity. And it's definitely something we need to take into consideration. As for the RPGs, Emmett, we never actually saw them destroy a vampire, having managed to escape them ourselves, but I'd have to say that, yes, if we were hit with one, we'd be toast. Something else to keep in mind."

"What about this Natan fellow? He's out there, loose?" Carlisle asked. "Any chance he's going to show up and want revenge?"

Jasper looked at Peter and Bella. "Either of you want to field this question?" he said, folding his arms across his chest and sitting back on the couch.

"Um..." Bella began.

"No," Peter said firmly. "I'm sticking with my assessment of him from what I've known of him in the past. I don't believe he was affiliated with Maria. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all."

"And he helped me," Bella added, "as much as he could without endangering himself—which, from what I understand about us..." her gaze slid around the room, taking everybody in briefly, "…is really unusual in the vampire world, outside of mates...and family."

"Yes," Peter nodded, "he did help Bella. He's just curious."

"You know what they say about curiosity," Rose grumbled.

"Well, Natan certainly found that out when he came around to check out what Maria was up to. I doubt it's broken him of the habit, though," Peter replied.

"As long as he doesn't show up on our doorstep looking for revenge, I don't care _how _curious he is," Rose sniveled.

"No, I don't see that happening," Peter said, looking at Alice, who just shrugged.

"I've never met him, so I don't see him, either." She smiled a little bit. "I'd probably have some warning, though, if he ever actively decided to look for us."

"We do need to be aware that there could be others that might come looking for us. For me, anyway. Once word gets out that I—_we_—took down Maria..." Jasper trailed off.

"Ah, yes, another ripple we have to take into consideration—people wanting to prove themselves against us. Against you, Jasper. Alice will be watching for that, as well."

"Just one more thing to thank Jasper for," Rose sniped.

"Rosie, baby—" Emmett began.

"Enough, Rose!" Carlisle cut Emmett off. "We discussed this earlier," he said pointedly, looking at her until she dropped her eyes.

Bella wondered what, exactly, had been discussed. It made her feel better to know that perhaps Rose had been taken down a peg or two by their 'coven leader', especially if it meant she'd have to keep her snide comments about Jasper to herself.

"So, now that we all know what happened," Carlisle began, "we can move on to the problem at hand, which would be Jasper's little exposure issue."

"Yeah, about that—" Jasper began.

"Don't interrupt me, son," Carlisle said sharply, surprising Bella.

"Yes, sir," Jasper whispered.

"As I was saying, we have an exposure problem. While I understand there were extenuating circumstances, and nobody here is holding it against you, Jasper," Carlisle turned to glare for a moment at Rose, who glared back briefly before dropping her eyes again, "we are all going to have to be on the same page while trying to handle it. Now, Emmett has been doing his best to monitor the internet and take care of things as they pop up, but I'm afraid you and your little feeding frenzy have become just a little too popular for even Emmett to work his magic."

"It'll just blow over, Carlisle, if we give it some time. They'll lose interest. Humans always do..." Jasper began, but Carlisle was shaking his head.

"Maybe under normal circumstances it would, but not this time. That video was sent to multiple outlets, Jasper. We don't know who or why—an enemy of Heriberto's, perhaps? Heriberto, himself, as a last act of revenge? His dying words to you seem to indicate he had something up his sleeve. We just don't know right now. And while it may not have been aimed at us personally—after all, nobody had any way of knowing you were going to be there that night or what would happen if you were—the fact remains that it's out there. And after putting on that little show, you proceeded to blow up the compound, which _really _attracted the authorities' attention on _both _sides of the border. I fully agree with the decision to destroy the compound, but the act has had some consequences we didn't anticipate."

Carlisle stopped to take an unneeded breath and to look at Alice, who nodded back at him. "Now, the FBI has become involved. A pair of agents is heading to Laredo right now. Alice can't tell what will happen next for sure, since there are too many variables, but she does see that if they decide the 'persons of interest'—_you _three—are from the U.S., those ripples your little show caused are going to move even wider, starting with a probable appearance of your photos on _America's Most Wanted_."

From the shocked looks on the rest of the Cullens' faces, this was news to them, too. "Woohoo, Jasper!" Emmett whooped. "You finally made the big time!"

"Us, too?" Peter asked, shocked.

"You, at least," Alice confirmed with a nod. "I don't see them having a clear picture of Charlotte's face. She's considered an accomplice right now. You, however, Peter, are listed as a partner."

"What about me?" Bella asked, looking a little shell shocked.

"You and Maria are merely listed as persons of interest," Alice said, almost apologetically. "They think you, at least, were a...um, a prostitute that Jasper picked up...since, you know, they only have video of you at the first hotel on that first night."

"Told you you looked good in that costume, babe!" Jasper said, poking her in the ribs with his elbow. Bella glared at him and scooted down the couch away from him.

"Partner? Why does Jasper get top billing and I only get partner?" Peter asked, sounding a little offended.

"You think _tha_t's bad? I don't get Jack Schitt!" Emmett whined. "I had to stay home and answer the phones. Again. I never get to do anything fun because Carlisle thinks I'll fuck it up. I can't see as how I could do any worse than getting my face plastered on national television while I indulge in a little sumpin'-sumpin'."

"Well," Rose said with a growl, "Jasper is obviously the serial killer here. You, Peter, were merely the schmuck that didn't stop him."

"Can he be a serial killer if all the killings happened in the same place at the same time? Wouldn't that make him a mass murderer?"

"I don't think four people count as a mass murder, Peter," Jasper said, looking pained.

"Yeah, but if you figure all those people in the basement into the equation, plus the guards in the house—"

"You know what? Shut up! I think it's pretty well been established a long time ago just what I am," Jasper said, looking even more pained. Bella quickly scooted back to his side and took one of his hands in hers, stroking his face reassuringly with her other hand.

"Nobody blames you," she said softly.

"I blame him!" Rose snarled.

"You always blame him!" Alice snapped back.

"Well, this time isn't any different, is it? We're in a mess, and it starts—as _always_—with Jasper eating somebody. At least when he was with Alice, we had a little more opportunity to stop him." Rose turned to glare at Bella.

"Shut up!" Carlisle yelled. Silence descended on the group. "Now, what Jasper did is history. It's passed. We're moving on."

"Damn good thing, since I wouldn't change anything," Jasper whispered. "They took Bella. You all see what _you _would do if somebody stole _your _mate!"

Carlisle's eyes softened and he crossed the room, putting his hand on Jasper's shoulder before crouching down in front of him. "I'm not questioning you at all, Jasper, and I'm not chastising you. You got Bella back, and in the end that is all that really matters to me. You're right, to a certain extent—all of this will eventually pass. But," he looked around at everyone, daring them to interrupt him, "until then, we will do as much damage control as we can. Because while I may be a little concerned with the repercussions in the human world, I am much more concerned with the reactions from the vampire world—above and beyond the possibility of people coming and looking for Jasper personally, as we discussed earlier."

"What?" several people asked at once, looking puzzled.

Carlisle looked at Peter. "Peter, do you have any insight you'd care to share with us in this area?"

All eyes turned to look at Peter, who was clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

"I don't understand..." Bella whispered. Jasper squeezed her hand and put his finger to his mouth, shushing her.

"Yes, well, I haven't actually seen anybody since we got back, you know, but...well, I don't know that folks'll be all wound up about it like you're worried. I mean, most people know what you're about, here with your family. But most folks know about Jasper, too. I don't think anybody'd be too surprised to see him chowing down like that, assuming they even see him on the TV. Most of us don't watch TV, you know, so it might not even be a problem..."

"My main concern, I guess, is that if people see him feeding like that—in public, as it were—they'll get the idea that it's suddenly all right to do that."

"And this is your problem how?" Peter asked, sounding amused now. "I thought you didn't have any leanings towards a leadership role in our world, Carlisle..."

"I don't," Carlisle said, sounding flustered. "I just...others' actions will have an effect on the safety of my family, and that does concern me."

"Don't sweat it, Doc. I really don't think they will. Word had already started spreading about Maria's coven's demise at the hands of humans, and I plan on spreading it even further, along with my and Jasper's encounters with those damn RPG thingamabobs. I think you'll find, if you'd just start talking to folks a little more, that most vamps don't really want humans to know they're out there. Anyway, that's sort of a 'cross that bridge' kinda thing at this point, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. I just like to plan ahead on these things, especially when it involves my family. But you're right—the immediate problem is figuring out our next move. There's a good chance that these humans will eventually be able to identify you, Jasper, and if they do that, they'll trace you to me. I think, in all honesty, we're going to have to plan on disappearing for a while."

Rose groaned and threw herself back against the couch cushions. Everyone else ignored her and focused their attention on Carlisle.

"Wrangell?" Jasper asked.

Bella looked between Jasper and Carlisle, clearly puzzled, as did Peter and Charlotte. The rest of the Cullens were nodding. "Yes. I'm thinking it's time to withdraw for a while."

Jasper nodded and sat up a little straighter. This was something he could handle: strategic planning. "All right. Well, Edward and Bella are already dead, so that's taken care of. I suppose Alice and I are out of the picture, too, since it was me on the television—and last anybody knew, Alice was with me. That just leaves you, Esme, Emmett, and Rose. Plane crash, maybe?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, that would work. Let's give it a while and see what happens first. I hate to be hasty. I don't mind the thought of a few decades of peace and quiet—communing with nature, as it were—but I think certain members of the family would be less than happy to accept that decision unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

"Carlisle Cullen, drug lord. It has a nice ring to it. Maybe you _should _let them trace you down, then go out in a blaze of glory or something. It could be fun!" Emmett said thoughtfully.

"I can assure you, Emmett, that that sort of 'fun' is not something I am interested in pursuing. And if it comes to the point of them tracking me down before I can 'die', I will be disavowing all knowledge of Jasper's activities," Carlisle said stiffly. "No offense, Jasper."

"None taken," Jasper said, almost cheerfully. "I took off after high school and you haven't seen or heard from me since. You all knew I was a bad seed to start with, anyway." This was said with a sneer in Rose's direction. "So _some _of you won't even have to act."

"I guess it's a really good thing the Volturi are gone," Esme said thoughtfully, standing up and crossing over to where a family portrait hung on the wall, "or we would have a lot more to be worried about right now than just humans on a manhunt." She took the picture down, revealing a locked safe. Pulling a key out of her pocket, she opened the safe and pulled out several packets. Looking through them, she selected one and put the rest back in the safe, shutting it and locking it before returning the picture to its place on the wall.

Everyone gathered around her, with the exception of Peter and Charlotte. Bella saw the words _Wrangell-St. Elias _written on the packet. Esme opened it and started handing out sheets to everyone, and soon all the Cullens had something except for Bella.

"Sorry, sweetie," Esme said. "These were all made up long before you joined us."

"All right..." Bella said, truly puzzled.

"They're moving plans," Jasper said softly. "We've got them set up for several different scenarios. This is the Wrangell National Park and Wilderness one."

"The 'we're seriously going to disappear for a few decades because some serious shit has happened' one," Emmett added helpfully.

"The 'we're going to be forced to live in a mine and only come out at night for the next 30 years because _somebody _fucked up beyond all imagining' one," Rose said, wadding up her sheet and throwing it on the floor. Esme growled at her, and Rose leaned over to pick the paper up, shoving the wad in her pocket.

"Emmett will be going into town to arrange for moving vans to take everything to storage. One trunk per person for right now, please, people. I know it's a lot to ask, but try to deal with it," Carlisle said, staring pointedly at Alice and Rose. "Peter, if you don't mind, could you go along and help Emmett? Charlotte—"

"Charlotte stays with me," Peter growled, drawing her close to him.

"Yes, of course. Of course she does. If you could both go with Emmett and assist him in town, that would be great. Jasper, obviously you aren't going anywhere in public, so get with Esme and help her. You've never been to the cabin at Wrangell, but she'll tell you what we need, and you can place the orders online for pick-up in Anchorage. Emmett and I can pick them up later."

Jasper nodded and followed Esme out of the room, heading for the stairway to the second floor. Emmett gestured for Peter and Charlotte to follow him to the door that led to the garage. Carlisle turned to look at Alice and Rose. "All right, ladies, now we pack. Boxes are in the basement." Alice and Rose turned and headed for the door to the basement, leaving Bella and Carlisle alone in the living room.

Bella looked around, feeling more than a little lost. "You can go help them, Bella, if you'd like. Alice can show you what we do," Carlisle said gently.

"Yeah...okay..." she said, crossing the room slowly and looking longingly at the steps up which Jasper had disappeared a moment ago.

"We'll do my room and Carlisle's and Esme's things," Alice told Bella, handing her a stack of collapsed boxes. "Then we'll move to the kitchen and dining room. Remember, pack only the things we're keeping. We'll put all the boxes in the garage for when Emmett gets back, and he'll take them to storage, then we'll go back through the house, and everything that is left will get donated. Rose will do her and Emmett's stuff, then take care of the vehicles. Carlisle does the study himself. We'll do the living room and game room if Esme doesn't get to them first."

"What about my and Jasper's things?" Bella asked, staring down at the empty boxes she was holding.

Alice paused, looking at her with what looked like pity. "Oh, Bella, honey...yours and Edward's things got put into storage when you didn't come back from Europe. We didn't want to lose anything at the time, in case we had to make a hasty move, you know? That was before we knew you were still alive. And Jasper's things were put in storage when we moved here to Seward, when we all came back and you and he went on your vacation. We just never brought any of them back to the house here. He can retrieve what he wants later, and he'll be happy to take you with him so you can get some of your things, too, but there isn't time right now."

"So, I don't have anything for the new house?" This made her feel more lost than she was already feeling, and she didn't like it.

"It's not like you need anything, do you?" Rose asked. "I mean, you've been living wild for years now—surely you can get by for a few more weeks without...whatever it is you feel is so necessary. In fact, you'll probably _love _living in a mine shaft."

"Don't be like that, Rose," Alice said reproachfully. "And you know it hasn't come to that, yet. We'll be at the cabin."

"Oh, like that's so much better. You've never seen the 'cabin', Alice—not in person. It was a shack in the 40s, and I'm sure it's not much better now!"

"Well, you and Emmett will be renting a house in Glennallen, at least through the summer, so it's not like you're going to be forced to be at the cabin with us. It won't be so bad, Bella, really. You'll see..." she said, turning back to Bella and taking her hand. "I think you're going to like it there."

"What, don't you _see _it, Alice? You can't actually _tell _us that it's going to be all sunshine and rainbows and grizzly bears dancing up to the front door, begging for us to eat them?" Rose sneered, dropping her boxes and pointing a finger at Bella. "You know, if you had done a better job of supervising Jasper, we wouldn't be in this predicament right now! Being his mate comes with certain responsibilities, and you have done a piss poor job of meeting those responsibilities so far!"

Several hisses and a growl could be heard from upstairs.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bella demanded.

"Jasper needs a handler, Bella," Rose said. "And it's never been clearer than right now, after what he pulled in Nuevo Laredo. And you just don't seem to be up to the job. It's not like that's the first incident since you two have been together, or have you already forgotten that stunt at the Empire State Building? If anything, in fact, you seem to bring out the worst in him. At least when he was with Alice, we had some warning most of the time and could take steps to prevent situations like this from happening!"

Bella dropped her boxes and took a step towards Rose. "Keep your nose out of my and Jasper's relationship, Rosalie Hale," she growled. "It's none of your business. And _my _Jasper doesn't need to be handled!"

Alice dropped her boxes and stepped between them. "Don't fight!" she pleaded. "We need to finish the packing! We don't have time for this!"

They both ignored her.

"That's where you're wrong, Bella. It is my business. It's all of our business when it affects the whole family. If you're going to be part of this family, you're going to have to learn we all have responsibilities to each other and to the family. Part of that is making sure that we don't do anything to attract unwanted attention from _anybody_—even the humans! Especially the humans! Jasper has a short fuse, we all know that, and he's _your _problem now! If you don't like that or don't want to accept that, maybe you should just leave and take him with you!"

The growling from upstairs increased, accompanied by the sound of running feet, but it was already too late. Bella launched herself at Rosalie, managing to get a good hold on her, and her teeth sank into Rosalie's shoulder before Jasper could arrive and begin to attempt to pull her off. Rose was shrieking and yanking Bella's hair, attempting to dislodge her—at the same time trying not to inflict too much damage herself on the younger vampire. Jasper had been right when he'd told Peter that Rose's bark was worse than her bite. But this time, she'd bitten more than she could chew in trying to pick a fight with Bella. Rose was used to verbal sparring, screaming, and yelling; Bella was not.

Jasper sighed and tried to whisper reassurances in Bella's ear while simultaneously trying to pry her mouth open. She wasn't open to that suggestion, and she growled louder and bit down harder when he grabbed at her jaw. She managed to land a couple of kicks in his direction before he let go and settled for just trying to pull her off entirely, which only made the bite hurt worse, based on Rose's screams.

"Get her off! GET HER OFF!" Rose shrieked, writhing around and only making it harder for Jasper to get a handle on Bella. Esme and Alice danced around the edge of the trio, wanting to help but not wanting to make things worse by aggravating the younger vampire. Carlisle appeared at the bottom of the stairs, quickly assessed the situation, and took charge.

"ENOUGH!"

Everybody froze except for Bella, who continued with her biting. She wasn't deepening it and she wasn't tearing—both points that should have made Rosalie feel a little bit better, if she'd been of a mind to notice it, but they didn't. Carlisle stepped closer to the two girls, and Rose whimpered when Bella's growl deepened.

Carlisle put his hand on Bella's shoulder. "Bella," he said firmly, his voice carrying the deepness of a vampire coven leader issuing a command to a coven member. "That is enough. Let go of your sister. Right now!"

The others in the room tensed even more. This could be a problem if Bella didn't—at least in some part of her mind—acknowledge Carlisle as her leader, all feelings she might have of him as a father figure aside.

Jasper wasn't the only one to sense the immense relief of the group when Bella's growling stopped and she slowly released her bite, backing away from Rosalie. Carlisle pulled her to him and engulfed her in a tight hug, and after a moment, she relaxed into it.

"Good girl," he whispered, stroking her hair. "Good girl. Jasper?" he said, looking at the younger man over the top of Bella's head. "Why don't you take her for a hunt? I think we all need a break from the tension around here. But when you get back, you and I need to talk."


	3. Chapter 3

**Things I know something about:** A glacier can have both crevices and crevasses. You don't have to worry about the crevices, but watch out for the crevasses. Even if you're a vampire.

**Things I know nothing about:** Exactly how long it takes vampires to pack up and load moving vans. I'm assuming it's faster than I could do it.

**Chapter 3**

Jasper had to run fast to catch up to Bella. She was heading into the Kenai Fjords National Park at a high rate of speed, and she showed no signs of stopping or slowing, even though he could tell from her emotions that she knew he was following her. In fact, she didn't stop until she reached a glacier field. To Jasper's relief, she didn't attempt to enter the field. Instead, she dropped to her haunches and carefully studied the ice spread out before her, ignoring his approach.

"That's a glacier," he said, dropping to the ground beside her and thanking their luck, which for once seemed to be good, that there were no human tourists around to spot them. The area had next to no cover. At least it was a cloudy day.

"No shit, Sherlock," she snapped.

"The Bear Glacier, to be exact," he continued, ignoring her attitude. "Emmett is particularly fond of the name. It is not, however, a very safe glacier to go out on, so it's a good thing you stopped."

"I do remember your glacier lessons from Greenland, Jasper," she snapped again, sounding marginally less waspish.

"I'd hate for you to fall into a crevasse. It can take forever to get out of those things."

"Maybe I want to fall into a crevasse," she mumbled.

"Well, it would be an adventure, that's for sure. Believe me, I know from experience. But we really don't have time for that sort of thing right now. We need to be getting a move-on...with the move."

"Maybe I don't want to move to Wrangell, or the mine, or the cabin, or wherever it is we're supposed to be moving to..." Now she sounded just downright sad.

"You don't want to stay with the family?" he asked quietly.

He could have sworn he heard her sniffle. "I don't think they want me with them." She said it so quietly he could barely hear her. "Especially now."

He nodded to himself. Now they were getting somewhere. "That's not true, Bella. Not true at all. I came out here to bring you back. If that's what you want. I'm here to take you wherever you want. But I know for a fact that the family wants you with them. Especially now."

"Rose doesn't."

Jasper snorted. "Let me tell you a little something about Rose. When Alice and I first joined the family, it was at least a decade before Rose decided that _maybe_ she just _might_ not mind us being there. Alice, at least. It was another decade before she really warmed up to me. Then I had a few decades of her tolerating my presence, and a few _glorious _moments where she actually seemed to like me. Maybe. Obviously, I have now returned to a place on her shit list."

"Are you telling me I have to spend the next twenty years being treated like shit by her?" Bella asked resentfully.

"No...not exactly...though that's a distinct possibility. I'm trying to tell you that things are not perfect in vampire families, just like in human families. Worse even. We don't get along well in groups as a species—you've seen that in action. And drinking animals might tame that, but it doesn't get rid of it entirely. Rose is..._Rose_. She comes with a lot of thorns. But I'm gonna tell you something else, Bella. She picked a fight with you, yeah, but when you attacked, she didn't fight back. And she could have. You saw her in action in Romania. I've seen her in action a couple other times in the past. And she can fight. She could have given you a run for your money. But she didn't. Because you are family to her, believe it or not."

"Finding it real hard to believe."

"Well, try. That is, if you want to stay with them. Say the word, and we leave right now."

"That would leave them short a man," she said. "They need you right now."

"They need—and want—both of us right now. But I don't care. What you want comes first with me. So think about it for a bit. What do you really want to do? And don't let what Rose thinks of you get in the way. I know I sure as hell don't. Because, c'mon, do you really care what she thinks of you? Of us? You're stronger than that, Bella. I know you."

They sat in companionable silence for an hour, staring out over the glacier.

"I want to stay with the family," she finally said. "I want to stay with Carlisle and Esme," she clarified, in case he hadn't figured out who she really was interested in being near. "Part of me really wants to keep moving and run forever. But the other part of me really doesn't want to. It wants to stop running and just...stay."

Jasper was quiet for a moment. "I know what you mean, Bella. You think you can keep running forever, but you can't. Before I met Alice, I thought the same thing. I guess maybe neither of us is really meant to be nomads, not real nomads. All this other stuff...family ties...slows you down and pulls you back to them. You—we—really do belong in the coven. In my opinion, anyway. If it turns out I'm wrong, well, we'll deal with that when it happens. Nothing about this is set in stone, and forever is a long, long time. Shall we grab something to eat and then head back?"

"I'm gonna be in trouble, aren't I?" she asked, standing up and brushing gravel off her pants.

"No, but I am," he said cheerfully, jumping up beside her.

"You are? But why?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm going to get a lecture, again, about how I'm not controlling you well while we're in a dangerous situation."

"Well," she smirked, "you're not, _are _you?"

"No, I'm not. I feel...I feel like you've had plenty of being controlled in your short life. And despite a lot of the panic running around the family, I'm having a hard time thinking of this as a war situation. It's just humans, for the love of God." They started trotting back over the mountains towards the lower lying forests. "Even if I have recently experienced what they can do, up close and personal," he added.

"Everybody else seems pretty upset, especially about where we're going, but you're not?" It came out as a question.

"Yeah, well, I've lived rough, as it were, more of my life than I've lived with the Cullens, so it doesn't bother me to do it again. Peter and Charlotte are nomads. You...well, you've never had it easy. Emmett thinks it's one big adventure. I don't think Carlisle is particularly put out about it, but he really is attached to the human charade he continues to carry out. Esme is upset because some of us are upset, but she's happy with being wherever Carlisle is."

"That leaves Alice and Rose."

"Yes, it does. I don't think Alice is upset, really. She just wants to be with the family, even if that means living in a mine shaft. But sometimes I think she is more attached than any of us to humans and living amongst them. And Rose...well, Rose likes her comforts. She is not happy about any of this, and nothing you can say or do will change that. But really, we're immortal, Bella. Time goes on for us, unending but not unchanging. We might not change, but the humans—and their world—sure as hell do. I haven't been around for 200 years yet, but I've already seen so much amazing change. Hiding out in the wilderness for 40 years is nothing, really. A blip on the radar, no matter how much Rose bitches. And I doubt it would be nearly that long."

"Maybe if _we _just fade away for a while, then Carlisle, Esme, Rose, and Emmett can stay in the world..."

"Well, that's what they're hoping, but if the FBI and the government come sniffing after us? Believe me, the Cullens are going to disappear for a good long while. In fact, the next few months are going to be nothing more than just an elaborate set-up for their deaths. With so much possible attention coming our way, so much snooping going on around us—at least I think that's what Alice sees happening—we've got to wipe out as many tracks as possible."

"All right, I guess."

"Just watch and learn, Bella. Watch and learn. Oh, and my advice to you in the meantime? Stay the hell away from Rose. Carlisle is forgiving of things like this, to an extent, but he will crack down on it if it continues—even if you are the baby of the family. And trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of his anger."

"How bad can it be?" She snorted, remembering everything she'd been through at the hands of others.

"Trust me, Bella. Locked in a box? Trapped in concrete? They have nothing on the feeling that you have let the esteemed Dr. Carlisle Cullen down. You haven't known pain till he lets you know that you have disappointed him."

Bella winced. Yes, she could definitely see how that would be true.

Jasper saw the wince and felt her emotions. "See what I mean?" he asked.

"Definitely. All right, Operation Refuse to Rise to Rose's Bait is now in effect."

"Good girl. I hope you have better luck with your attempt than I did with any of mine," Jasper said, running ahead of her and laughing.

"Oh, you jerk!" she squealed, taking off after him.

~AM~

"Did you two have a nice hunt, dear?" Esme asked Bella when she and Jasper approached the house several hours later. Esme had come out to meet them on the porch, but nobody else was in sight. Esme was so calm and serene that Bella doubted her own memory of what had taken place in the house just a few hours earlier.

"Yes," Bella said, looking over at Jasper and smiling. "It was _very _nice..."

"Wonderful! Emmett and Peter had luck getting two trucks, and we've just finished loading them. Jasper, Carlisle wants you to go with him, Emmett, and Rose to take them and the car to the storage unit. You'll drop the donation stuff off on the way. We'll leave most of the furnishings with the house this time."

"What about Peter and Charlotte?" Bella asked quietly. She'd never really been comfortable around them, but now suddenly she didn't want them to leave.

"Peter and Charlotte are going to stick around for a while, Miss Bella," Peter said, appearing behind Esme in the doorway. "Life around here is more exciting than that Maury Povich show I saw. In fact, I hear I missed out on a real interesting episode just earlier today! Makes me not want to leave the house at all, just in case it happens again."

Esme tsked. "We're not discussing that, remember, Peter?" she said quietly.

"Yes, ma'am, I do remember. I just sorta forgot there for a moment. Sorry for bringing it up, Miss Bella."

"Uh...yeah. Not a problem, Peter. I'm, um, glad you're staying," Bella said.

"Me, too, Miss Bella, me too."

"Chop, chop, Jasper!" Emmett said, coming through the door. "Gotta get moving! We're on a tight schedule here!" Rose followed him out, pointedly ignoring both Jasper and Bella. They returned the favor.

Jasper pulled Bella into a hug and murmured into her ear, "I'll miss you. Be good, sweetheart. Do what Esme asks and stay out of trouble. And stay hidden!"

"I don't want you to go," Bella said. "I don't understand why you have to go. This is happening too fast. I don't like it."

"Divide and conquer," Jasper said, pulling back a bit to kiss her on the lips. "Carlisle wants me alone so he can lecture me all the way to Anchorage while Emmett and Rose laugh at me from the safety of the car and truck they'll be driving. Meanwhile, Esme will be doing her best to mother you so much that you'll never even _think _of leaving home. Trust me, it's a tried and true method. They've had decades to perfect it."

"He doesn't need to lecture you," she said petulantly, kissing him back and hugging him tighter. "I like you just the way you are."

"Oh, I'm not worried about it, and neither should you be."

"Peter and Charlotte get to stay together," she pointed out.

"Peter and Charlotte are not members of this coven, Bella. There is no way he'd leave her alone with any of us, no matter how much he likes us or trusts us. But I know you're safe with your sisters. And," his gaze slid to where Peter and Charlotte now stood, talking quietly to Carlisle by one of the small moving trucks, "Peter and Charlotte are remaining with you, Alice, and Esme as added protection, just in case...well, just in case. You'll go on ahead with them to the cabin in the Tahoe, and we'll get rid of the car and get something more suitable for the back country while we're in Anchorage. We need to pick up more supplies, too, while we're in Anchorage. It'll just be a couple of days, sweetie."

"I don't like it," she said, starting to feel panic well up in her. "We shouldn't split up. This isn't right." Calm washed over her, wrapping around her before being joined by love, and she stared up at him. "You're not playing fair..."

"Would you rather I ordered you?" he asked, amused. "You were just telling me that you like how I do things. Well, this is how I do things. With you, anyway."

"You aren't supposed to be seen in public," she said, remembering their earlier conversation. "So how can you go to Anchorage and help Carlisle?"

"I'll stay out of sight, Bella, just like you and Alice will sit in the back of the Tahoe. Nice try. It'll be okay..."

"It really will, Bella," Alice said, coming up beside them. "This I can see without a problem. We'll all meet up again at the cabin near Wrangell in two days. We'll all be together again, and it will be fine. C'mon, now, let him go so we can get moving, too!"

Bella clung to Jasper more tightly, and she felt the warmth of his love wash over her again. "Let go now. I'll bring you a surprise when I come home if you promise to be good."

"I'm not four years old, Jasper," she whispered into his neck.

"Then stop acting like it," he said, the smile in his voice taking the sting out of his words.

"Harsh," Bella whispered, nipping him lightly.

"True," he said, nipping her back. He pulled away from her, then leaned in to kiss her quickly before turning away.

"It'll be okay, Bella," Alice said again, stepping up and hesitantly putting her arm around Bella's shoulders. Bella stiffened at first, then relaxed into the touch.

"We're waiting for darkness, then we'll leave," Alice said softly as they watched four of their family members get into the two trucks and Carlisle's Mercedes and pull off down the driveway. "We have to take the same route, but we don't want to look too much like a caravan," she explained before Bella could ask. "There's only one road from here to where we're going, and it runs through Anchorage. Taking the ferry runs the risk of exposure. They have too tight of a security system now. Thank goodness we can still drive fairly anonymously, although we'll have to hide under blankets when we're going through Anchorage, just in case, since Esme is the only one in our group that is supposedly 'real'." She giggled when she said it, and Bella turned to look at her in surprise. "Get used to it, Bella. We're officially off the grid. Well, you have been for years now, but now you can't even run the risk of being seen for a while."

"Riiiight," Bella drawled, mentally trying to come to terms with all that had happened since they'd arrived on the doorstep less than twenty-four hours earlier. Would life ever be easy?

~AM~

It really was a pretty drive, Bella thought several hours later as they sped along Highway One. They'd all hunkered down in the back, hidden under blankets as promised, as Esme sped through Anchorage. She stopped for gas when they reached one of the smaller towns trailing out to the north along the highway leading out of Alaska's biggest city. After that, she'd let them all sit up again. Bella had been amazed to see how much of the land they were driving through was actually farmed. At least close to town it was. It gradually got wilder and wilder as they headed further into the mountains.

The scenery was beautiful—more so, in her opinion, than what she and Jasper had seen in Siberia, although when she told Alice that, she also admitted that a large part of that opinion could have been because the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness did not come with the worry of werewolves behind every tree.

They were heading towards Glennallen. From there, Alice told her, they'd turn north. The cabin, along with three hundred acres of privately owned land, was just off the highway, bordered along one side by the road and on the other by the Copper River, beyond which lay the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Wilderness. It was one of their most isolated properties in the United States.

"Carlisle and Esme bought it ages ago, back in the late 30s," Alice told her. "It already had the cabins on it. Somebody had tried to make a go of it as a way-stop during the mining days. They did some fixing up, but according to Rose the place was a real pit."

"Yeah, that's what I heard," Bella said with a snort. Peter and Charlotte laughed, and even Esme cracked a smile.

"After that," Esme picked up the story, sounding as if the memory was a fond one, "we left it alone again. Carlisle thought the area made the perfect place to go to ground, if the need arose. He and I returned to it for a summer in the early 60s, with him posing as the son of the original purchaser. We did more work on the cabins at that time, making sure that at least the roofs and walls were sturdy, and again in the early 80s."

"So that's what you'll do this time, too," Bella realized.

"Exactly." Esme nodded. "The towns up here are small enough that there will no doubt be people that recognize him, so he just passes himself off as his son, his grandson, and so on. It's impossible to blend in, and it's equally difficult to show up with an entirely different identity, which is another reason we don't frequent the cabin."

"What about you?" Bella asked, curious. "Won't they recognize you?"

Esme laughed. "It's much easier to look different when you're a woman, Bella. I can assure you that my hair style now looks nothing like it did in the 80s, or even the 60s, and humans are fairly easy to fool that way. Oh, they might think Carlisle picked a woman that looked like his mother, but past that, they won't wonder. So, we will be Carlisle Cullen the Third and his lovely wife, up here to continue the family tradition of coming up and trying to do something with the property. Perhaps this time we'll decide to stay longer and make a go of it instead of fleeing back to the lower 48, unlike his predecessors," Esme said thoughtfully. "Or, conversely, we might die in a tragic car accident. Or a fire."

"Uh...what about the, um, mines that Rose kept going on about?"

"Oh, that. There was a lot of heavy mining up around here in the past, even up in the national park. A lot of old abandoned mine shafts. Carlisle always joked that as a last resort we could retreat into them to hide, if necessary."

"Yeah, not doing that with y'all if it comes down to that," Peter said, speaking for the first time in quite a while. "We'll just be hitting the road again if it gets to that point."

Esme laughed. "I think we all will, Peter. I'd rather be a nomad for the next fifty years than hide in a hole in the ground."

Alice nodded. "Yes, that is far and away the better choice if it comes to that."

"I kinda hope it doesn't," Bella said softly. "I'm tired of running."

Esme looked at her in the rearview mirror. "I know you are, sweetheart. We're going to do our best so that it doesn't come down to that."

"You're going to really like the cabins, Bella!" Alice said suddenly. "I see you looking happy there."

"Really?" Bella said, perking up.

"_Really _really," Alice said, nodding her head for emphasis.

~AM~

"Um, Alice, are you sure about that vision?" Bella asked, staring at the ruins of several log cabins that sat along a very overgrown lane in front of them. There were eight in total, one larger one with seven smaller ones stretching away into the forest. Bella could hear rushing water in the direction that the lane led, and she assumed if they followed the path it would lead to the river. They'd parked the car and trailer in front of the largest cabin, which sat almost a mile off the road down a long overgrown drive. It was in the best shape of any of them, but that wasn't saying much. It was going to need its front porch replaced, and the stone chimney had pulled away from the wall at one end. There were trees lying across the roof of two of the smaller cabins, and she was pretty sure the one closest to the big cabin was burned out. The others weren't much better.

She was definitely not looking happy. She didn't need a mirror to tell her that.

Esme, though, seemed very upbeat. "Oh, it's not as bad as it looks. At least they're all still here."

"That's a pretty loose definition by anyone's standards, Miss Esme," Peter said. The look on his face was so far from happy that Bella was pretty sure it bordered on horrified, which was pretty bad, she thought, considering that he was a nomad and used to living rough.

"We'll have them fixed up in no time," Alice predicted.

"Are you any good at construction?" Bella asked curiously.

"Me? No, not a bit, but Esme and the boys are," she said confidently. Esme nodded.

"How 'bout you, Peter?" Esme asked. "Do you have any skills in that area?"

"No, ma'am, not really. Me and Charlotte are more of the 'squatting' type, if you know what I mean. I generally don't do too much fixin' up on the places we stay in," he turned to look at her and hastened to add when he saw the disappointed look on her face, "but we're willing to help out, do the heavy liftin' and such. After all, you can't have all chiefs and no Indians. In fact, we could start at maybe cleaning up the mess a little now."

Bella turned away to hide her smile. Evidently the fear of disappointing a parent was a power that Carlisle shared with his mate. She wondered if Peter was even aware that it was working on him.

"Well, let's clean out the main cabin first. I don't even want to unload what little we brought into it, not until I know for sure it's not going to fall down around our ears. We'll finish it first before we start on the others. There's not going to be much privacy for a while," she warned, looking at Bella.

Bella looked out toward the direction of the river and beyond, where she could see mountains rising over the tops of the trees. "I don't think privacy is going to be a problem," she said, smiling. Maybe she _was _going to be happy here.


	4. Chapter 4

**Things I know nothing about: **How long it takes to set up a...set-up that would be a Hacker's Wet Dream (isn't that a Punk band?), let alone what sort of equipment you'd need. But I'm guessing it's more than a laptop. Although according to Super Beta, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo can do it with a juiced up laptop. Maybe Emmett should contact her.

**Chapter 4**

She wasn't happy here. Not at all. Millions of acres of wilderness, and she and Jasper had yet to experience any of it. And there was no sign of that changing any time soon. Of course, it had only been a couple days. Maybe things would look up.

Currently she was sitting on the peak of the roof of the largest cabin, watching Carlisle and Esme disappear down the driveway back towards the road. They were heading for Tok, empty trailer bouncing behind them, to start the charade of Dr. and Mrs. Cullen spending the summer trying to fix up the family property. She'd wanted to go hunting and exploring, but Jasper had said, "Not yet," because they had work to do first.

Before they left, Carlisle and Esme shared with the family the story they'd decided on. After the death of their youngest son and his wife, they'd explained, they had grieved for several months before leaving for a stint overseas with Doctors Without Borders. Bella had realized with a jolt that they were referring to her and Edward, using the cover story they'd come up with to explain her change. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. She supposed, in a way, that it was.

But now, homesick for the States, and more specifically Alaska, they'd returned to the area. They were going to spend the summer working on the family property before deciding what they wanted to do next. Their daughter, Rose, and her husband, Emmett, were also coming to Alaska for the summer, having graduated from college that spring. They, however, would be renting a house in nearby Glennallen. The two remaining children, should anybody ask—and hopefully nobody would—have not been seen since soon after their siblings' deaths. Jasper had disappeared, taking Alice with him, and contact with them had quickly faded to nothing.

A good story, Bella had to agree with everyone on that, but she didn't like being dead while Jasper was being associated with Alice in it. He told her she was being silly, and she supposed she was. It was only a story, after all. But she didn't like that part of it.

So, while the rest of the siblings discussed (or argued, depending on how one looked at it) putting a new roof on the cabin—Esme had made it clear she expected that to be finished by the time she and Carlisle returned the next day—Bella crouched on the roof, hugging her new e-reader to her chest and sulking.

She pulled the e-reader out once again and inspected it. Jasper had been true to his word and had brought her a present. There weren't any books for her here—yet—but he'd given her this, filled with hundreds of books that he hoped she liked. And she did like it. A lot. It was all new technology—new to him and to her—developed after she and Edward had left for Europe. Jasper had shown her the basics when he gave it to her, and he promised to show her more later if she didn't figure it out for herself first. She was thrilled with the present and hadn't decided where to start yet: with old favorites or interesting sounding new releases.

She sighed. An e-reader and a backpack full of clothing, approved for wearing and blending in in the backwoods of Alaska, were her sole belongings in the world. At least for the moment. Jasper had promised, once again, that they would return to the storage unit when there was time so she could bring some of her own things back with them. She'd been a little disappointed when he hadn't brought anything this trip, but he'd pointed out that there really hadn't been time, and he hadn't wanted to make those decisions for her, anyway. He went on to point out that he hadn't brought any of his own things from storage, either, and the rest of the family had been limited to a single trunk of belongings each. Peter and Charlotte had just as little as she and Jasper did. They'd brought along backpacks with the few things that they usually travelled with, and Carlisle had picked up additional clothing for them in Anchorage, but other than that they had nothing.

It was like they were still nomads, just traveling with a lot more people.

"I wish you'd bought a different color," Rose said. Again. For the hundredth time.

"Let it go, Rose. Esme wanted green. It looks fine. When it comes time to do your cabin, you can pick any color you want," Alice said, sounding exasperated. After they finished the main cabin, they were going to remodel the smaller cabins to allow the family to have private accommodations to which to retreat.

"I will, thank you very much. And it's not that I don't like the green. It's just so...trite."

Bella sighed. Roofing colors. First there had been complaints about staining the logs, then there had been griping over interior color selections, then having to replace the porch floor, and now the bitching had progressed to the roof, which was actually the only project they were _supposed _to be doing. Peter and Charlotte had long since retreated, too, and Bella could make out their forms perched on a branch high in a nearby tree, talking softly and exchanging kisses. She wished Jasper would join her so they, too, could exchange some kisses, but he was arguing just as enthusiastically as the rest of the Cullen siblings. Maybe it was a moving tradition with them. Or maybe it was just because Esme was not around to stop it.

Finally, though, the talking stopped, and they all came out of the cabin and headed over to the large trailer they had brought from Anchorage, pulled behind a Suburban for which the Mercedes had been traded in. It was loaded down with metal roofing, lumber, two generators, and an assortment of tools that Bella had no idea the use for. Jasper looked up at her on the roof and gestured for her to join them.

She jumped down and crossed the yard. The weeds were already being flattened by traffic. She thought that if they'd bought a lawnmower or something, they could have at least made the yard look nicer. That was probably one of the last things on the list, though.

"Since you guys and Esme did such a great job of cleaning out and getting the cabin gutted, we'll be able to go right to work on replacing the roof," Jasper said. "She said the trusses still look great, so we're just going to rip off what's left of the old one and put up this metal sheet roofing. Simple as can be."

Bella nodded like she knew what he was talking about.

"Why don't you go ahead and put that in the car so it doesn't get broken," he said, looking at the e-reader. "Then you can hand the roofing up to me and Rose after Emmett cuts it."

She nodded again, moving to do as he'd suggested. She guessed she was going to learn a new skill today. Maybe they'd go hunting afterwards.

The green roof looked great, in her opinion. Rose was still less than impressed, going so far as pulling out the brochure and actually showing it to Bella, asking her opinion on the other colors available. Bella took the peace offering cautiously, but she found herself agreeing that the red, perhaps, would have been a more striking choice. Rose said that perhaps the five of them—the women—could get together and coordinate the colors of the cabins, and Bella nodded in vague agreement, not missing the fact that Rose had included Charlotte in that number. Rose was clearly making an effort, so Bella was willing to, too.

After all, she reasoned to herself, it had been a stressful few years for all of them, not just for her. Even if she was the only one to have lost a mate to death...and been trapped in a box...and dumped out over Siberia...and—

She halted that train of thought. It would do her no good, and it certainly wouldn't be helpful at all in her Get Along with People Plan.

"I want a purple roof," Jasper said, coming up behind them and putting his arms around Bella's waist, "with yellow shutters and an orange front door."

"Um...no," Bella said. Even she knew that wouldn't look good.

"But—" he pretended to pout.

"No," Rose said firmly. "The roof, maybe. The rest of it? No."

"Can we hunt now?" Bella asked hopefully.

"We're just discussing that," Jasper said. "Emmett and I want to go now. Alice says we should move ahead with the porch and surprise Esme and Carlisle with it. What about you guys?"

_Oh, goody_, Bella thought, _group hunt_. More bonding time with the family.

"Are you hungry, Bella? Do you need to hunt?" Jasper asked.

She wanted to say yes, but she knew she couldn't lie. Jasper would know she was lying. And he might call her out on it and want to know why she was lying. And she didn't want to explain that she didn't want to play Happy Family right now. But he was her mate... He wouldn't call her out on it. He'd ask her later why she'd lied. Wouldn't he?

This would be so much easier if she could put her shield up, but then he'd want to know why her shield was up. Indecision swept through her while Jasper stood patiently, waiting for her answer and evidently ignoring the internal conflict she was having.

"I'm fine," she finally said, and he nodded.

"All right, then. Rose?"

"I'd rather finish the porch," Rose said. "Emmett and I aren't due to arrive in Alaska until next week, and by that point we'll be concentrating on getting the computers set up. I'd like to see us get as much done here as possible first. Even Alice can't tell what's going to happen in our near future." Emmett, Peter, and Charlotte appeared at their sides a moment later.

"Well, whatever you decide, Charlotte and I will just be bowing out. I'm thinking a trip back to Anchorage might be in our future."

"You could volunteer to make the next supply run," Emmett pointed out. "Alice could probably take a look and give you some tips—right, Alice?" he asked the little vampire, who had also now joined them. "Alice?" he asked again, looking closer at her and sounding concerned.

"Shit," Jasper said. "What do you see, hon?"

Bella bristled at the term of endearment he casually threw out to someone other than her.

"Paper..." Alice breathed out, her eyes unfocused.

"She sees paper?" Peter asked, confused.

"QUICK!" Jasper yelled. "Where are the paper and pens?"

"In the truck," Emmett said, disappearing and reappearing almost before his words were gone.

Jasper grabbed the notebook and pen from him and held them out to Alice. "Here you go. Do you need to sit down? You okay?"

Her eyes refocused and she shook her head, looking almost amused. "I guess I don't need to draw this one after all," she said. "You're about to hit the Big Time, Jasper."

All eyes turned to look at Jasper. "What the hell did you do now, Jasper?" Rose demanded.

He held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I haven't done anything else! You already know everything I've done recently—in more detail than I'd prefer, to be honest!" His eyes darted to Alice, who had the grace to look embarrassed.

Bella swallowed back a growl. She knew details of her love life had probably been seen—and possibly shared—but having it confirmed embarrassed her and pissed her off.

"Hey, I didn't share details!" Alice protested. "I only told them things were going well. I mean, you two chose to hide out in that desert for _months_. We had to make sure you were safe. It's not my fault that every time I checked in you were bopping like bunnies."

Peter snickered. "Like bunnies, Jasper? How, exactly, do bunnies bop? Could we maybe get a demonstration later?"

Jasper ignored them all. "What did you see, Alice?"

"Well...for whatever reason, that part wasn't clear to me, but it has something to do with the Prius you stole, Peter. The FBI agents assigned to your case—or, rather, the case involving the destruction of the Hidalgo cartel and Heriberto's presumed death—now have reason to believe that the persons caught on the video surveillance camera are indeed from, or are at least in, the United States, putting those persons—you and Peter, and Charlotte—into their jurisdiction and making you their problem. And since the media already has access to the video, along with everybody else on the planet that has a computer and access to YouTube, they're sending your close-ups to _America's Most Wanted_.

"Dude," Emmett exclaimed, looking at Jasper in awe, "you really _have _hit the big time! This is just...wow! This is—"

"Bad," Rose said flatly. "Very, very bad. People are going to _recognize _you, Jasper. I don't need to be Alice to see that coming. People in Forks, at least, are going to recognize you, and that will tie this whole mess to the rest of us with a nice big red ribbon."

There was no doubt in any of their minds that Rose was correct.

"And _you_!" Rose said, rounding on Peter, who stepped back in surprise. "This development, right here, is _your _fault."

"_My _fault?" Peter asked. "What the hell did I do?"

"Alice said it was tied to the Prius somehow. Well, _you _took the fucking Prius back to Montana with you! What kind of an idiot returns a stolen car to its owner? Especially after that person was caught on tape _in _the stolen car?"

"Hey," Jasper said, stepping between them, "in our defense, we didn't know the car had been caught on tape in Laredo, or that _any _of this shit was going to blow up like this! Although she's right," he said, turning to Peter, "it was pretty stupid to take the car back."

"Yeah, okay, I'll give you that," Peter mumbled.

"It doesn't matter." Alice sighed. "They would have identified Jasper eventually. These two...they're very persistent. I wish there was some way I could interact with them in person so I could get a better feel for them. I'd be able to see them so much better that way—"

"No!" Jasper said firmly. "Absolutely not! You are not going anywhere near them. We're all staying up here."

"Well," she said, "if they come up _here _and snoop around, I'm certainly going to go get a closer look."

"We'll see about that, if and when it happens," he said, sounding even more stubborn.

"I hardly think you can stop me, Jasper. And I need to get a closer look for the good of _all _of us," Alice argued, her voice growing steely.

"I said we'll talk about that when the time comes," he growled back.

The Cullens looked at Jasper in shock, but Peter was grinning.

Jasper ignored them all. "What else did you see, Alice?"

"That's about it. They contact the show, which will run your pictures along with what limited information they have on you."

"Did you see when they'll run it?"

"No, not yet. As soon as the producers make that decision, I should know...which may give us a little time, if they don't think you're an imminent threat to anyone. And then, of course, there's always the chance nobody will actually recognize you—"

"Fat chance of that!" Emmett snorted. "Half the females at Forks High wanted in his pants, even if they _were _terrified of him. He'll be recognized, all right."

"This is why you shouldn't play with your food," Peter said. "No good ever comes of it."

"I'd like to point out that your picture's gonna be up there, too," Jasper said.

"Yeah, but nobody's gonna recognize me, so it doesn't matter."

"Well, we can't do anything about it right now, right? So we should just continue...doing what we were doing. We should go ahead and fix the porch," Emmett said.

"No," Rose said. "We need to go into town right now. Take the laptop. You need to get on and see if you can find out just _what_, exactly, the FBI is up to."

"I told you, Rose, it's not that simple!" Emmett argued. "These things take time, and I need more than just my laptop, crouched on a roof somewhere!"

Bella's head was swinging back and forth, watching them argue. She noticed Peter's and Charlotte's were, too. Peter looked a lot more fascinated with the process than Charlotte did.

"Nobody's going anywhere!" Jasper said firmly. "Not till Carlisle and Esme get back. Alice, why don't you try to see what else you can find out? I can go get you a deer, or something, and bring it back here for you."

_That _got Bella's attention, and she didn't bother holding back the growl that erupted.

"Calm down, Bella!" he said sharply. "There's no reason to get jealous. If she takes time out to hunt, she might miss out on something important."

Bella stepped back in shock. Charlotte jumped forward and poked Jasper in the chest. "Don't tell her to calm down, you schmuck! She has every right to feel—"

"We don't have time right now to indulge in—"

"You just said we have plenty of time until the show is run and somebody actually calls in—"

"Yeah, well, that could happen a lot quicker than you think!"

"There's no way to be sure—"

"QUIET!" Jasper roared.

Silence descended.

"Who died and made you king?" Rose said into the silence, glaring at Jasper.

"Edward," Jasper snarled. "Carlisle's not here and Edward's gone. So, yeah, Rose, I'm in charge. You all need to shut up. Emmett, go get Alice something to drink! Her eyes are black. Everybody else, into the cabin! Alice, start looking!" He glared at them, daring them to challenge him. Nobody did.

With a toss of her hair, Rose stomped off towards the cabin. Emmett disappeared into the woods. Jasper waited for Alice to follow Rose towards the cabin and then glanced over to where Bella stood with Peter and Charlotte. Peter gave a short nod, and Jasper stalked after the two women, not looking back again.

"Well!" Charlotte said, sounding affronted.

Bella felt a pain in her chest. Her hands clenched into fists, and she fought the urge to follow Emmett into the woods.

"Boy oh boy, things are sure getting interestin' around here," Peter said, almost gleefully. "I don't think it could get any more interestin' unless you had a little vampire baby running around."

"Shut up, Peter!" Charlotte snarled before grabbing Bella's hand and heading for the cabin. "C'mon, Bella. King Jackass has spoken."

They walked back to the cabin at a human speed, and by the time they got inside, Alice was in the middle of another vision. The cabin was empty of all furnishings and gutted to the walls. Rose stood next to Alice in the center of the building, with Jasper standing in front of her, holding the paper and pens in case she needed them. Bella, Peter, and Charlotte stood back a little bit, not wanting to interrupt her.

Once again, after a few minutes, her eyes cleared and she shook her head. "Well, that certainly clears a few things up." She waved away the paper Jasper was offering her. "I don't need it this time, either," she said. "Apparently, they were able to trace the Prius back to Butte, Montana, Peter, based on the description of it being compared to stolen vehicle reports. So, you're off the hook, sort of. They would have eventually made the connection, even if you hadn't taken it back. The fact that you got it in Butte and then returned it back there places all of you in Butte at the time of one Larry Abram's death—a death that you will now be a prime suspect for, Jasper."

"I wasn't even there!" Jasper protested. "That's all Peter and Charlotte!"

Alice shrugged. "Be that as it may, his body was found outside an old strip mining area. While being well mauled by animals, there were a couple of bites on the neck that the coroner thought were odd. Once the FBI arrives in Butte and the body is exhumed, they'll be convinced it was you, Jasper. And that will cause them to look at a few other odd disappearances that have taken place over the last couple of years."

"You fucker!" Jasper said, looking at Peter. "You know, nobody ever mentions the hundreds of people I saved in that compound. They keep focusing on the four I ate. And now I'm being blamed for _his _mess, too! I thought you said you guys threw your leftovers in some bottomless pit or something..."

"That one must have floated back up," Peter said, shrugging.

"Whatever. What else, Alice? Anything?"

"I'm still not clear on the air date, but I'm thinking it's going to be fairly soon. Definitely this summer. The new shows only air through June, so not really too far out at all. After that...well, I don't see what happens. Guess it all depends on who watches."

"Thank God that show's not all that popular with our age group," Rose said.

"I don't know... I think it _is _pretty popular in the over-80 crowd." Emmett snorted.

Rose glared at him and he held up his hands defensively. "Joking, Rose, joking!"

"Well, stop! This is no joking matter."

"I don't know," Peter said. "I think it's pretty funny."

Charlotte slapped him on his arm. "Keep your mouth shut. You don't have a dog in this hunt."


	5. Chapter 5

**Things I know nothing about: **The likelihood of vampires stopping mid-screw for ANY reason. Oh, and if leather really is better than cloth.

**Chapter 5**

After Alice's vision of Jasper appearing on _America's Most Wanted_ at some point in the _probable _near future, accompanied by the following unknown outcome, life in the Cullen household settled into an uncomfortable routine of cabin renovations interspersed with hunting and bickering, all of which were steeped in an aura of nervous anticipation. It was a nightmare for Jasper. Between the fluctuating emotions of the group, his need to strategize and make plans for an unknown situation, not to mention protecting his mate from an unknown threat, he was a wreck, which led to him spending a lot of time in the woods, taking Bella with him.

Which Bella loved.

But not _too_ far into the wilderness, because putting too much distance between himself and his family made him even more nervous, since they were, in his words, in a "battle situation". Invariably, after a few hours spent exploring, hunting, and...other things, he would drag Bella back to the little group of cabins.

Which Bella did _not_ like.

He was definitely a nervous wreck. And since he was stressed, she was stressed. And when they were home, they made everybody stressed.

Emmett and Rose took to staying at their rental home, claiming that the time needed to continually track down and delete videos of Jasper was turning out to be more of a chore than they'd anticipated. Emmett had also discovered a way of tracking the movement of the two FBI agents "assigned to his ass", as Emmett so eloquently put it, by hacking into their cell phones. This gave them a way to at least tell _where _they were, if not what they were doing. For now, they had apparently returned to Washington D.C., and were in a holding pattern of their own. Alice was still seeing nothing useful, and she wasn't sure if it was because no further decisions had been made, if something was blocking her, or if she just couldn't see them.

It happened more frequently than they might imagine, she'd explained to Bella. The better she got to know people, at least in the case of humans, the easier they were to see. She was confident that if she could just _meet_ these two, or get close to them, the visions would come easier.

Jasper nixed that plan, again, when she brought it up, again. Nobody, according to him, was leaving Alaska. He was not happy when Esme and Carlisle returned to Tok to purchase more paint three days later, and he was downright surly about the fact that Rose and Emmett spent a large portion of their time elsewhere.

For somebody who supposedly dismissed the humans as not being a serious threat, Bella thought, he sure was acting like their lives were all hanging by a thread.

"He can't help it," Peter told her quietly when she mentioned this observation to him one afternoon while they were alone in the cabin, the sound of the saw outside masking their conversation. "We don't easily change. He's been living on high alert for the past three years now, Miss Bella, and it's triggered all his soldierin' instincts."

"Well, we're not in any imminent danger here, not from something that can _really_ hurt me. I mean, even if the government found out there were vampires living amongst their citizens—and actually believed that news—it would still be a while before they came knocking on our door with a bomb or something. I think it's probably safe for me to go out and do a little hunting by myself. I mean, he hasn't _ordered_ me not to, but he's _told_ me not to."

Peter snorted. "I'd have to disagree with you there, Miss Bella. You just seem to be a magnet for bad luck. I can't say as how I'd let you out of my sight, either, if you were mine."

"He didn't have a problem letting me out of his sight when we were driving up here," she groused.

"Water under the bridge, Miss Bella. Let it go. Besides, you were with his coven. You're safe with the coven. Jasper knows that. It's when you leave the coven that he gets a little nervous."

"Well, he could come _with_ me... I mean, look at it out there! It's just...crawling with food and things to explore!" She gestured to the large window that overlooked the back yard. She longed to just go out and lose herself in the wilderness—with her mate, of course.

Peter looked, then shrugged. "Yeah, not really our cup of tea, Charlotte and me. But I understand what you're saying. Maybe you should try talking to him about how you feel, not that it will do much good at this point."

Bella shook her head. "We're not doing much talking right now. When we _do_ get any time alone, he—_we_—have other things on our minds."

Peter was trying not to laugh now. "Ah, young love. I remember those early days with Charlotte—at least, once we were able to get away from Maria and feel safe. Well, it'll all work out, Miss Bella. In the meantime, I'd like to put in a request that you, um, help rein in his nerves. Because they're affecting _all_ of us."

"He was pretty relaxed whenever we were by ourselves, like last winter in Mexico—"

"Yeah, well, I'm betting you two spent most of your time in, um, 'close physical contact', to coin a polite phrase. He's not going to be feeling so nervous when he's got his mate under him and nobody around for miles. If you want him to calm down now...well, go ahead and let him top you right there on the floor. It'd probably calm him down right quick."

Bella looked at the floor speculatively for a moment. The idea had merit, but they'd just finished the flooring and she didn't want to have to re-do it.

"Maybe not there... I don't want to have to fix anything. Maybe more trips to the woods."

Peter snorted. "It wouldn't be such a problem if we could work at _normal_ speed to fix it back up."

"We _are_ doing it normally," Esme said calmly, coming up behind them.

"For humans, maybe."

"It's good practice, Peter," she chided for the hundredth time that week already. "We are not spending much time around humans right now, and we don't want to run the risk of getting sloppy or careless in our actions."

He rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. And working with human materials and tools requires human strength and speed, otherwise they tend to break." This was something he'd already discovered for himself when he'd tried to cheat on Esme's "human speed" rule.

"I think the work is coming along nicely," she said, coming up and putting her arm around Bella and giving her a hug. Bella had noticed that Esme had started taking any opportunity that presented itself to make physical contact—hugs, pats on the head, and sometimes just a hand on her arm. She had to admit that it was working. She no longer stiffened when Esme touched her, and she had even taken to accepting Carlisle's hugs without feeling nervous.

"It is," Bella agreed. In the space of little over a week the cabin had gone from being barely four walls and a roof to being a cozy retreat. The interior was divided into a main room, a bedroom, a bath, and a laundry/service room. It was nothing like any of the other Cullens' properties. They had exchanged their normal almost-excess for something that was nearly spartan. A tiny kitchen area sat in one corner of the main room, which Peter had argued with Esme about for days, but she had shut him down, pointing out that you just never knew when you might need one. The accompanying pointed look in Bella's direction had shut him up. There was room for a table at the same end, and Carlisle had explained to Peter that they were used to having their "discussions" while seated around a table. There wouldn't be room for one large enough to seat them all, but the idea was there. The family would take comfort in the familiar.

They'd gotten rid of the fireplace that had graced one end of the cabin, before it had pulled away from the building and fallen to the ground, and replaced it with a central wood burning stove that Carlisle and Esme had brought back from Tok. The other end of the cabin consisted of a small bedroom for Carlisle and Esme, the bathroom—again, it would end up being more utilitarian than luxurious—and a laundry room. There was a loft over that end of the cabin, which currently held the sparse personal belongings of the rest of the group.

"I think we can go ahead and start on the other cabins now, to give everybody some privacy," Esme said.

"Um...what about furniture? And a bathtub? And...a refrigerator or something?" Bella asked. The interior might be finished, but aside from the wood burning stove, it was empty.

"Yeah," Peter said, eyeing the wood burning stove suspiciously. "Aside from that death box that you insisted on adding for 'atmosphere', it looks kinda odd in here." Peter had been very against putting in the stove, insisting the only "mood" it set for him and Charlotte was fear. Only a crazy vampire would have an open flame in their house, he'd said.

In fact, as Bella recalled now, Peter had seemed to have some pretty vocal opinions about almost every step of the project, cheerfully arguing with Esme over almost every instruction. For somebody who claimed to not care _what_ they did, since it wasn't _his_ house and they were only visiting, he had more to say about what was going on than anybody.

The rest of the family took it in stride, letting him enjoy sparring with Esme, who seemed to enjoy the interactions almost as much, especially since she always won in the end anyway. Rosalie probably would have made the situation worse, but she and Emmett were rarely there, stopping by only to touch base and to do a little hunting.

"I have just the thing!" Alice said, appearing in the doorway and holding a pile of catalogs. Charlotte had followed behind her and appeared to have another stack. "We'll have to have some of it shipped in, but I also have some for local places in both Anchorage and Fairbanks. Emmett or Rose can place the orders for it, and then somebody can drive in and pick them up."

"Sounds like a job for Charlotte and me," Peter volunteered. "We'll need to be heading to town soon, anyway, for...well...yeah..." he trailed off, not bothering to finish that sentence. He wasn't ashamed of his eating habits, but he'd grown fond of the Cullens—especially Esme—and didn't want to flaunt his diet in her face.

"Thank you, Peter," she said. "That would be helpful of you. Let's see what you have there, Alice."

Alice sat on the floor and spread the catalogs out in front of her, Charlotte joining her. Esme knelt down next to them and picked up a furniture catalog. "Bella, care to join us?" she asked, looking up at Bella.

Bella backed away. "Um...not right now, no. I think I'll go find Jasper and see if he, um, wants to go for a walk."

"Good idea," Alice said with a smirk. "That boy definitely needs to go get some fresh air to clear his head."

Bella turned and fled the room, the laughter of the three women following her. She'd reached the utility trailer-turned-workshop when she heard Peter tell Esme, "I really think that the solid would look better than the plaid. And have you thought about maybe leather instead of woven?"

"Peter still at it?" Jasper said, appearing at the trailer's back doors and looking towards the cabin.

"He's expanded his horizons to include interior decorating," Bella said. "You don't want to go in there right now."

"You're right."

"Hey, um..." Bella said, suddenly feeling nervous, then angry because she felt nervous, knowing that there was no reason for her to feel nervous "...want to, um, maybe go hunting, since it appears that we are at a stopping point?"

Jasper looked back into the trailer, where Carlisle was studiously ignoring them. "Well...we were going to try to get the cabinets framed up before we lose daylight today..." he said hesitantly. While vampire sight worked fine in the dark for tasks such as hunting and maneuvering, it was rather limited for activities such as wood working, especially when the wood working had to take place in an already darkened trailer in order to avoid the drizzle. The generator, unfortunately, could not run both lights and power tools. As such, the short, almost non-existent Alaskan nights had become the time to hunt and have private time with one's mate.

Bella sighed, not bothering to hide her disappointment.

"You could help us," he offered.

"I don't want to help you," she said. "I already broke too many of the floorboards."

"It'll be good practice, then."

"I don't think Esme wants me practicing with her precious hardwood," Bella almost snapped. "She was forgiving about the flooring, but that's a hell of a lot easier to replace."

"Don't worry about it, Jasper," Carlisle said from the back of the trailer. "You two go along. It's not like we're on a schedule with this stuff. I was going to break off now, anyway, and go help Esme defend her upholstery choices."

"All right, then," Jasper said, nodding, "let's go." He grabbed Bella's hand and led her down the path to the river, which had become quite well-worn over the past few days.

When they reached the riverbank, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. "Do you really wanna hunt, or did you have something else in mind? I heard you mention getting some fresh air back up at the cabin..."

Bella tipped her head back, offering him more access. He obliged by gently biting the sensitive area under her ear before licking the scar there. She moaned in appreciation. "Something else," she said, sounding breathless. "Definitely something else."

"Yeah," he hissed. "Something else. Across the river, though."

Bella groaned and drew back. "Catch me if you can," she whispered before whirling and jumping across the water. The river widened out here, and they were able to cross it by leaping from boulders and gravel bars, not even getting their feet wet in the process. She laughed wildly as he pursued her through the trees and up into the hills on the other side.

"Not too far, Bella!" he called after her, authority in his voice. She pouted but curved around to head back towards the river. At least he was feeling playful. Their previous jaunts across the river so far had comprised of mostly hurried hunts followed by couplings that were quick and, to Bella, had an almost desperate air about them—at least on Jasper's part, like he was afraid he was going to lose her at any moment. She matched him in his intensity. She needed it as much as he did to overcome her sense of not fitting in, to make her forget how much of an outsider she seemed to be in what was supposed to be her own family.

But this...this was fun. They hadn't had fun in so long. She took to the tree tops briefly but had to quickly return to ground when the poplar trees would not support her weight. She could hear Jasper laughing behind her and tried to increase her speed.

He soon caught up with her and tackled her to the ground. "Gotcha!" he whispered in her ear before gently grasping her shoulder in his mouth and growling. One arm reached around her waist and yanked her back up more firmly against his chest while the other hand came up to the collar of her shirt and prepared to rip it down the back.

"Not the shirt, not the shirt!" she hissed. "I only have three more."

Jasper growled in frustration but released the shirt, grinding himself into her backside to emphasize the importance of hurrying in the process of shedding clothes. "We should have stripped first," he grumbled, instead reaching around and feeling for the snap on her jeans.

"Yeah, we should have," she agreed, wiggling her bottom a bit, causing him to growl a little louder, "but we didn't. Adjust your plans accordingly, Major Whitlock."

"I'll show you adjusted..." Jasper said, quickly pulling her jeans down to her ankles. A moment later he had his own unbuttoned. He pulled her up so she was on her hands and knees before he slid into her. She arched her back and pushed back toward him, crying out.

"Oh, woman..." he groaned, "...what you do to me. When this is all done, I swear...a month, Bella. I'll take you away again. A month...a year...I swear...oh, God..."

"Jasper...Jasper..." she panted, her words marking time with each speeding thrust. The volume of her cries increased until she was all but shrieking his name—so loud, in fact, that it began to echo across the forest.

"Jasper...JASPER! Listen!" Bella cried out before freezing. Jasper continued to thrust against her for a moment before he realized she'd stopped moving.

"What is it?" he asked, pausing his own movements and raising upright on his knees, freezing in a listening stance. Bella turned her head to look at him over her shoulder and giggled.

"Shhhh!" he hushed her.

"You look like a meerkat," she whispered.

"SHHHH!"

Rolling her eyes, she turned her head back around and collapsed the front of her body to the ground, resting her head on her crossed arms. In another time and place, Jasper would have been more than a little fascinated at the interesting angle that resulted. But not now.

"Jasper!" His name drifted through the forest.

"I thought it was an echo," Bella said.

"Well, it's not," he said, instantly cranky.

She ground back against him. "Ignore them," she whimpered.

"I can't," he said, starting to pull out of her.

She twisted around and grabbed his ass with one hand. "At least finish the job, King Jackass!" she hissed, using the nickname Charlotte had coined earlier in the week.

He grabbed her hips to still her. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear. "Don't, Bella. Just..._don't_. They wouldn't be calling if it wasn't important. You know that."

"I know nothing of the sort," she said bitterly.

"You _do_ know. You just won't listen," Jasper said, bitterness seeping into his own voice. He slowly slid out of her, buttoning his pants and standing before pulling her up and helping her re-dress. She tried to pull away from him, yanking against the grip he had on her wrist, but he refused to let go of her. He headed off in the direction of the river, pulling her along with him.

"All I know is you're acting like we're going to be destroyed at any moment. I mean, I understand that this is _big_ and that the FBI looking for us—for _you_—can put a real damper on the way the Cullens live, but Jesus Christ, Jasper, it's only a bunch of humans!"

He stopped and looked at her. "It's _not_ just the humans, Bella. Carlisle was right. How many vampires have seen that video by now? Not all of them are as technologically ignorant as Peter and Charlotte are. How many vamps know I—_we_—destroyed Maria's coven, on top of destroying the Volturi? How many are going to come looking for me—for _us_ and the Cullens—now? Are they going to be friendly? Are they going to be looking for a fight? A lot of them will see me—_all_ of us—as a threat. Most will probably avoid us, but some might decide to be proactive. There's safety in numbers, and I don't really think there's anybody out there powerful enough to really be a threat to us..._if_we're careful and alert. I've tried to explain this to you before, Bella. Our actions over the last few years didn't leave just little ripples in the pond, they left fucking tsunamis! That damn video just added more waves to what was already a fucking disaster! I've been ignoring it up until now and pretending like nothing could go wrong, but things just keep snowballing..."

"So, what, we just live the rest of eternity like we're going to die at any moment?" she demanded, trying to yank her hand away again. This time he let her.

"No, Bella. As a wise man once said, 'This too shall pass'."

"Well, you could have fooled me by the way you're acting."

"Don't get me started about who's acting like what," he said harshly before turning and stalking off, leaving her to either follow him or not.

She watched in shock as he disappeared into the trees, heading for the river. He'd left her out here all alone. Briefly she wondered what he would do if she turned and ran back into the wilderness, choosing it over the family, but then she shook her head before following him. He acted like he didn't think she could behave, like she couldn't put the family's best interests before her own. Well, she'd show him that he _could_ trust her in this whole mess. He'd trusted her to stick around, as she'd promised, so she would. He'd trusted her to not put herself in danger. The least she could do was show him that the trust was not misplaced.

Even if she _did_ want to kick him in the nuts right now. King Jackass, _indeed_.

She quickly crossed the river and slowed to a walk as she headed up the hill to the cabin, testing the air to make sure at least _one _of his theories wasn't correct. The area had not, in fact, been overrun by a mob of angry nomadic vampires intent on destroying the Cullen family. Obviously Jasper had already realized this when he'd decided to leave the choice of following him or not up to her. She should have known that he never would have actually let her "decide" anything if there was real danger in the area.

Nope. No danger. The only additions to the group in the cabin since she and Jasper had left earlier were Rose and Emmett, not that that couldn't be considered an imminent threat of some sort, Bella thought with a snort.

She slowed even further as she reached the steps to the porch, and Emmett came outside to greet her.

"One word for you, Bella," he said, sounding almost cheerful. "Makeup sex."

"That's two words, Emmett. And you all heard us?"

"I think the folks back in Glennallen heard you," he said. "Don't worry about it. You and Jasper are amateurs compared to Rosie and me."

Bella couldn't imagine Emmett ever fighting with Rose—she'd never even heard him raise his voice around her—but she wasn't about to say anything.

"Come on in, little sis," Emmett said, putting his arm around her and urging her into the cabin. "Your mate needs you."

They entered the cabin and Jasper was instantly by her side, pulling her into a tight hug that would have smothered her—or broken her back—had she been human. He glared at Emmett and growled at him.

"Calm down, bro!" Emmett said, backing away quickly with his hands up.

"What happened?" Bella asked, her voice muffled against Jasper's chest. Carlisle evidently understood her, though, and answered her.

"Alice had a vision of us getting visitors. A pair of vampires... Nomads that we—well, some of us—are familiar with. She sees things going badly if they come here, which they will if they're not intercepted."

Jasper growled again, but Bella pushed against him, managing to turn her head enough to talk more clearly. "They'll attack us? Two against..._nine_?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "No. Apparently Captain Caveman there is going to take exception to something the male says...or does...or feels...and attacks _them_. Us, 2; Them, 0. But they're innocent bystanders, and Carlisle doesn't feel it's necessary to destroy them just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I'd like to think that we're all in agreement on that one, Rosalie," Carlisle said. "I realize that you've never met Charles and Makenna, but they hardly deserve to die at Jasper's hands. Besides, they also have very close ties to humanity, though in a very different way than our own, and it would behoove us all to remain on good terms with them."

"So...what are we going to do, then?" Bella asked.

"We're going to intercept them in Anchorage," Carlisle said. "Alice sees them arriving by boat and pulling into port some time tomorrow. If we wait here, they'll contact the Denalis, who would direct them here with disastrous results." He frowned at Jasper as he said this, causing Jasper to growl and tighten his hold on Bella. "However, if we meet them there, things go much differently. It will help us all if they—and their coven—remain friendly with us."

"So, we're going to Anchorage?" Bella asked, feeling a stirring of excitement.

"No!" Jasper said. "_We_ are not. Emmett, Carlisle, Esme, and _I _are going to Anchorage. Carlisle and Esme can do the talking. Emmett and I will be there for protection."

Bella saw Esme roll her eyes. "Jasper, dear, I hardly think we need protecting against them. Makenna is really quite a lovely person—"

"No!" Jasper said again, more firmly. Carlisle nodded. He wasn't willing to argue the point with his second-in-command.

"Um, Jasper, Charlotte and I really need to—" Peter began.

"No. Absolutely not. I need you here to protect Bella," Jasper said.

"Gee, thanks," Rose and Alice said at the same time.

"Yeah, thanks," Peter said glumly.

"You can go hunt when we get back," Jasper said. "We're not all going in together, and I'm not leaving _anybody_ unprotected."

Emmett snorted. "Yeah, like Rose and Bella can't take care of themselves..."

"I think I should go with you," Alice said. "You're going to need me to be more than a phone call away, Jasper."

Jasper considered this for a moment. "All right," he finally said, nodding.

Bella let out a little hiss, but Jasper gave her a squeeze, silencing her. "Not now," he whispered, the command clear in his low voice.

A few minutes later, Bella stood on the porch with Rose, watching most of their family drive away in the Tahoe, pulling the flat bed trailer behind them.

"This is bullshit," Bella said. "What the hell? We can't all go? I'd say that most of us just went! The asshole should have just tied me to a tree and been done with it!"

"For once, dear sister, I agree with you," Rose said. "You realize that Alice probably just wants to go shopping, don't you?" The remark wasn't really fair, but clearly Rose was feeling more than a little disgruntled, too.

Bella snorted. Her thoughts on what Alice probably just wanted were not fit for sharing, however unfounded and untrue she knew them to be. She didn't feel like talking sense right now. She wanted to wallow in feeling sorry for herself.

"Bullshit. Total bullshit," Bella said again.

"Well, I for one am not hanging around here. I actually have responsibilities that need tending to, something my dear husband apparently forgot when he jumped on the Diplomatic Band Wagon. May I suggest you join me and take advantage of the shower and laundry facilities?"

"I don't know..." Bella began, still not clear on how the whole "command" thing worked between mates. "I don't know if I should leave the cabin."

Rose snorted. "Doesn't that just piss you off? Well, if you decide to come with me, Alice will know. And if it has a bad outcome, she'll call." Rose raised her cell phone up. The first piece of equipment they'd installed was a signal booster, which had been run up the top of a nearby fir tree.

Bella thought that it _should_ piss her off, but it didn't. That seemed to be part of the package deal, thankfully. She could be angry at the concept of Jasper ordering her around, and her not being able to go against him, but in reality there was not any active resentment at the act itself.

But a shower did sound heavenly. The hot springs that had been promised to her had yet to make an appearance on their agenda.

"All right, I'll go," she said, waiting for..._something _to happen.

Nothing happened.

"See, that wasn't so hard. Try something else. Why don't we take the truck into Fairbanks and go shopping, maybe catch a movie or something. We can ditch Peter and Charlotte if we hurry." She raised an eyebrow at Peter when he started to protest, shutting him up.

"No," Bella said instantly.

"See how it works?" Rose said, her voice almost gentle. "It's something you can live with, at least, especially if you don't spend all your time fighting it. I should know, believe me. I've spent a _lot_ of my time fighting it. And Bella - you can make it work _for_ you, too. Just experiment with it. Now, how 'bout that shower? Coming with us, Peter, Charlotte?"

"You got cable TV in that house of yours?"

"Sure do."

"Yeah, we're there."

Bella and Charlotte jumped up to the loft to gather the laundry that needed washing. For a brief moment, Bella considered leaving everyone's but hers, as a sort of petty protest, but after a short internal battle maturity won out and she bundled everything into a bag.

"Okay, then, everybody in the truck," Rose said.

"Can I drive?" Peter asked.

"I don't freakin' think so," Rose told him.

"So," Peter began as the truck pulled down the drive, "I don't suppose you have any annoying neighbors you'd like to get rid of...?"

~AM~AM~AM~

A/N Last week I was interviewed by JaspersDestiny for TwiFic Central! Here is the link: http:/ twificcentral. com/ category/ spotlight/ It was a great interview, we had a ton of fun doing it, and we managed to get it done in under 2 hours... Don't forget to take the spaces out so it works.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Information on Charles and Makenna was obtained from the Twilight Wiki online. I didn't go into detail here; I merely implied what was written there and played with it a little so it would fit into the space I needed it to fill.**

**Things I know nothing about : Nautor Swans. Docking yachts. Docks in the Anchorage area in general.**

**Thanks go out to JaspersDestiny, my Super Beta. She spent a lot of time talking me off the ledge recently...while encouraging me to drink more rum. It didn't have much of an effect on this chapter...but it DID ensure that the story doesn't come to a sudden and very odd endaround chapter 22. So...if you're enjoying the story, make sure to thank her, at least in your head.**

**Chapter 6**

"They're leaving the cabin and going to Rose and Emmett's house," Alice announced from the back seat of the Tahoe.

"What!" Jasper growled, spinning around in the front seat to glare at her. "Call them. NOW!"

"Calm down, Jasper," Carlisle said from the driver's seat.

"I don't see anything bad happening, Jasper. They're going to the house because Rosalie has to take care of monitoring things. They're going to shower, do laundry, watch television...all fairly harmless activities the last time I checked. Peter and Charlotte are going with them, so cool your jets."

"But I told her..."

"Jasper," Carlisle said firmly, "nobody is calling anybody. I only brought you along on this trip so you wouldn't do something stupid and alienate Bella."

"Too late," Emmett said under his breath, hiding it with a fake cough.

"Alienate Bella _further_," Carlisle corrected himself. "You can't honestly believe I need your help talking to a couple of old friends, do you?"

"They belong to a very old and powerful coven," Jasper said stiffly. "You don't know for sure that this is just a social call."

"I_ know_ this isn't just a social call," Carlisle agreed, "but neither is it a threat of any sort. We will meet, and we will talk, and if you cannot promise me that you will keep control of yourself, you will wait in the car while Emmett accompanies us."

"Oooh, burn..." Emmett mumbled from the middle seat.

Carlisle and Jasper both ignored him. "I realize you are under a lot of stress right now, Jasper, along with trying to deal with a mate that is rather, um, capricious in her moods, but Esme and I both believe that you are, in part, contributing to Bella's somewhat erratic behavior. You want her to settle in and feel like she is a part of the family and feel safe with us, but how is she supposed to do that with you constantly seeing a threat under every rock and then communicating that fear to her?"

"Jasper's in trouble, Jasper's in trouble," Emmett began to sing, though it was barely audible.

"We _are_ under threat!" Jasper argued, stubbornly.

"I understand that, Jasper, but I feel you are exaggerating the immediate threat. Due to the circumstances she's encountered in her short life, Bella has very little concept of what a long-term, vague threat that may or may not occur is. If you feel threatened, she feels threatened. And if _she_ feels threatened, she expects an immediate attack. You are feeding off each other, increasing _her _stress, and driving the rest of us crazy. You need to stop, or at least tone it down considerably."

"I don't think I can."

"I think you had better learn. I refuse to deal with a temperamental newborn and her unpredictable mate in a situation that calls for finesse. You're no good to me or the family if you can't get your head in the game. If I have to tie you both up to a tree, I will."

"This is going to be a long ride," Alice said, looking out the back window.

"I agree," Esme said, nodding next to her.

From his seat in the middle of the vehicle, Emmett just continued to laugh quietly.

Around midnight that night, they pulled into the driveway of a townhome in Anchorage that was owned by the family. It was a large three bedroom unit, and it had a garage, which allowed them to come and go with none of the neighbors ever catching a glimpse of them. The fact that it was an extra deep garage allowed them to pull in with the trailer still attached. The humans in the other units must have felt the same way, for on the few occasions that the Cullens utilized the unit on visits to the city of Anchorage proper, they rarely—if ever—saw anybody.

"If we go down to the west marina docks tomorrow, slip 42, they should be pulling in around noon, based on the car's clock," Alice told them as they exited the car.

"I think we'll bring them back here," Esme said. "What do you think, Carlisle?"

"Yes, that would be fine. We can use this property to deal with any visitors we have to the area."

"Any _vampire_ visitors," Jasper said, speaking for the first time in hours. "Any human interactions will take place in a public setting, on neutral ground."

"Yes, of course," Carlisle agreed. "If it comes down to that, I'll probably meet with them in Fairbanks, or perhaps have them drive down to Tok. With our current story that we're using, Esme and I would be traceable to that area, anyway. No reason to try to hide the fact that we are in that general vicinity."

"Now, about tomorrow, Alice, what is the weather supposed to do? Still calling for rain?"

"Yes. All day."

"Good, then we don't have to wait until dusk. We'll all drive down to the marina but, Jasper and Alice, you'll need to remain in the vehicle, in the back. Do not come out unless it is absolutely necessary. Which it won't be, right, Alice?"

Alice nodded.

"We'll invite them back here, and we'll all return to the house before talking. Jasper, you see to it that they don't feel threatened. Seeing five of us here, together, may put them off a little bit. I don't want that. And once we get back to the house, all three of you stay out of the way. Understand?"

Emmett, Jasper, and Alice nodded.

"All right, then...I guess we have some time to kill."

"How 'bout a little Mortal Kombat, Jasper?" Emmett asked, heading for the family room.

Jasper grunted but followed him down the hall.

"I'll go ahead and place our orders online, Esme, where possible, so we can pick them up before we head back the day after tomorrow," Alice said cheerfully.

"Well, that leaves just us," Carlisle said, pulling his mate towards him. "How about a nice long soak in the hot tub?"

Esme sighed and snuggled into his arms. "After the ride down here, what I really need is a drink."

"Well, I can't help you there, unless you want me to bring you the neighbor's chihuahua. All I have to offer is some hot water, some jets, and then maybe some—"

"Argh, you two!" bellowed Emmett from the family room. "Take it upstairs, will ya?"

The next morning, Jasper and Emmett disconnected the trailer and lifted it over to sit in the other bay of the garage, freeing the Tahoe up to drive them around town without something bouncing around behind them. They got in the car, with Jasper and Alice in the back now, safely hidden by the darkened windows. Carlisle drove with Esme beside him, Emmett sitting on the middle bench again.

They arrived at the marina shortly before noon. Jasper was struck with a sense of déjà vu, and from the way the others tensed up, he knew they were thinking along the same track.

"It's going to be okay," Alice said, reaching out to touch his arm. "This will be nothing like last time."

"I know," Jasper said shortly. From where they were parked, they had a clear view of berth 42, where it still sat empty. Soon, however, a boat slowly coasted in, bumping the dock gently before stopping.

"Is that a Nautor Swan?" Emmett asked, awe in his voice.

"I have no idea," Jasper said. "What I know about boats you could put on the head of a pin." Edward had been their sailing enthusiast, growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan. Jasper, quite frankly, had never quite trusted open water.

"It's pretty," Alice said.

"She's beautiful," Carlisle said. "Nothing but the best for Luca's family."

Emmett turned to Jasper and mouthed, "Luca?" silently.

Jasper shook his head. "Later," he mouthed back. He mentally rolled his eyes. Carlisle had not even bothered to inform everyone of who, exactly, they were dealing with. Of course, Jasper hadn't ensured everyone was working with the same knowledge base, either—he'd been too busy sulking for most of the trip the previous day.

The Melita—for that was her name, they could see it now, written on the side—rested next to the dock. Soon a man, tall with dark blond hair, appeared topside and jumped to the dock, quickly mooring her.

"Melita," Emmett said, rolling the name around.

"The Roman name for Malta," Carlisle said quietly.

"Why are all boats named for women?" Emmett asked, curious.

"Because," Jasper said, "it takes a lot of paint and work to keep her looking good, she always hides her bottom, and when she makes port she heads for the buoys and it takes a good man to control her."

Emmett burst out laughing, and even Carlisle chuckled.

"Totally lame," Alice said.

"Oh, come on now, you laughed on the inside. You know you did," Jasper said. "I _know_ you did."

"Shall we?" Carlisle asked Esme.

She nodded, and Carlisle got out of the Tahoe. He crossed around in front of the vehicle, coming to open the door for her. Taking his arm, they slowly walked down to the dock, cautiously approaching the Melita and the solitary figure that stood there waiting for them.

Jasper had climbed into the middle seat with Emmett, his hand on the door handle, ready to quickly intervene if necessary. Carlisle extended his hand to the man, who quickly grasped it. They were too far away, and there was too much interfering noise on the docks, for them to make out what was being said. It was clear from the other man's smile, though, that the exchange was friendly. After shaking hands with Carlisle, he reached over to hug Esme, kissing her on both cheeks. He then turned back to the boat and called something out.

A moment later a woman appeared on deck, small and slight of build. Her dark hair and olive toned skin hinted at Mediterranean origins despite the paleness vampirism had given her. She quickly joined her mate on the dock, hugging both Carlisle and Esme and exchanging kisses on the cheeks with both of them.

"Yeah, they look real threatening, Jasper," Emmett murmured.

"Looks can be deceiving," Jasper growled.

"Well, what do you _feel_?" Emmett asked.

"Happiness. Curiosity. Friendship."

"Clearly a threat," Emmett said, nodding emphatically. "The both of them. Good thing we're all here for back up."

"Shut up, Emmett. The visit isn't over yet."

"Alice, do you see any sign of them trying to take a chunk out of Esme or Carlisle?" Emmett asked.

"No," Alice said, not bothering to hide her smile.

"Yeah, all right. I may have been overly concerned," Jasper said. "But I wouldn't change anything I did. Hindsight is always 20/20."

"You could trust my visions," Alice said, sounding a little petulant.

"Your visions change, Alice. Things could go from happy reunion to a fight before we know it."

"Well," Emmett said, "it appears that, at least for now, things are going well. Shit, wait a minute, Esme is getting on the boat with that chick..."

Jasper was instantly alert, barely shooting an "I told you so" look at Alice before exiting the car and crossing the road to the marina. Emmett and Alice were right behind him.

"Carlisle!" Jasper said, trying to remain pleasant sounding. "I thought we were going back to the house for the visit."

Carlisle smiled at him. "Ah, right on time, Jasper, just as I expected. Charles, these are my sons, Jasper and Emmett, and my daughter, Alice."

Charles held his hand out to Jasper, who hesitated a moment before taking it and shaking it firmly. Charles then shook Emmett's hand.

"Ah, your captain, your soldier...and your seer. You were obviously informed of our coming," Charles said, smiling at Alice, who grinned back at him. "Did the thought of us coming here make you so nervous you had to bring back-up?"

"The thought of you coming here made the back-up nervous," Carlisle said.

"Understandable," Charles said. "Especially with all you've been through recently, if my sources are correct. Would you like a tour, also?" he asked Jasper, Emmett, and Alice.

"Sure!" Emmett said.

"Absolutely," Alice beamed.

"That's all right, I'll pass," Jasper said. "I'll wait on deck, if that's all right with you."

"Of course. Always the protector," Charles said. Jasper just glared at him.

Carlisle watched as the others got on the boat before turning to Jasper. "If this is too difficult for you, Jasper, I will call them back out."

Jasper shook his head. "No, that's all right. I sense no deception from either of them. This visit is exactly what you thought it was going to be. But don't ask me to go down into the cabin. I can't...I don't know how Alice can," he finished, his voice dropping to a barely audible whisper.

Carlisle grasped his shoulder. "Wait up here for us, then. Do you mind if I share your and Bella's portion of our story with them? I don't wish to usurp your right to tell it yourself. I'm sure we can all just come back on deck, or return to the house, if this is bothering you that much."

"No...I'll be fine. I'll just wait up here. You go on ahead and tell them whatever you need to."

"All right, then." Carlisle nodded before leaping lightly onto the boat to head below deck. Jasper followed him on deck and positioned himself so he could have a clear view of both the hatch and the dock, and he settled down to listen in on the conversation below him.

Jasper listened as Carlisle related to their guests all that had happened, from the time Carlisle, Edward, and Bella left for Italy, right up to Alice having her vision of their boat arriving in Anchorage. He did not go into any personal details, and they did not question him for them.

"We are sorry for your losses," Makenna said. "It is difficult to lose a family member."

"Thank you," Carlisle said quietly. "And I apologize to you for the loss of your family member at our hands. I would say I would have liked to have avoided it, but to be honest, I do not think I could have, not at that point. She was too deeply tied to their coven."

"I understand," Makenna said quietly. "Being with them—being with Aro—it was a risk Renata was more than aware of. When Uncle Luca requested her to go with them, and when she agreed to, we all knew it was a sacrifice she made for the family. She was fully aware of this, also. It is our purpose, is it not, to sacrifice ourselves for the good of our families, Carlisle? You and your family understand this so well, when so many of our kind have no concept of it. Uncle Luca wished us to convey that, should we see you in our wanderings. He does not hold you to blame. She was a sacrifice, and quite frankly, one well worth it, for are we not now free of their tyranny, thanks to you and your family?"

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Yes, well...let us hope something worse does not replace them."

"Uncle Luca said to tell you he will be watching Europe if you will watch the Americas."

"I don't wish to make any promises or assume such a position of power—" Carlisle began.

"And yet you have done exactly that, have you not, with all your actions of the past few years—and the most recent foray by your captain into the territories of the South?" She laughed softly.

"Yes, well, I've explained what happened there."

"And yet it does not change the end result, does it? Everyone knows the name Carlisle Cullen, even more so now. And it is a respected name. I do not think you have many problems ahead of you. But if you have need, know that you may call for us and Uncle Luca will send help."

"Well, our main concern right now is mainly with our recent exposure," Esme said.

"Ah, yes..." Charles said, laughter in his voice. "Your captain's feeding caught on video and broadcast to the world."

Up on deck, Jasper cringed. Was there anybody that hadn't seen it?

"Don't look so surprised that we have seen it," Makenna said, sounding equally amused. "We, Charles and I, keep very current on the humans' emerging technologies. For isn't that Uncle Luca's purpose in creating me and my cousins—so that we may always be abreast of how things are done in the human world? I do not think he would even be willing to pick up a telephone, let alone use a cellular phone. He prefers to sit in his villa in his toga, soaking up the sun like the oldster that he is. Yes, we saw your captain."

"Well, I hope you can understand why we would like to keep a rather low profile with our own government, if possible. The fact that we have attracted the attention of the FBI could make our continued associations with human society a bit difficult, at least for the next few years."

"Yes, I can definitely see where that would be a problem. You know, if you need to, you could always join our family on Malta for a while. Now that the Volturi are gone, there is no longer the threat to your family if you choose to bring them that close to Italy."

"I will certainly keep that in mind," Carlisle said. "But hunting, for us, would prove difficult in such a setting. Goat, I'm afraid, is not a favorite food of ours."

"Yes, I could see where that would be a problem!" Makenna laughed. "Well, I am glad to have gotten the story from you, though I am happy to say it is not all that different from the rumors that we have come across. Now, on to happier things? I have many photos, both of the family and friends we have visited on our travels, if you would like to catch up on what is going on with our fellows?"

Jasper could hear murmured assents, followed by the shifting of bodies about the cabin and the sound of books being pulled from a cabinet. He crossed the deck to lean on the rail and look out over the marina, watching the smaller boats come and go and a huge cruise ship make its way slowly up Cook Inlet. A moment later, Charles joined him on deck.

"I am sorry to hear about your loss of a mate at the hands of Chelsea," Charles said, almost silently. It was for Jasper's ears only. "The Volturi had become increasingly evil, rotting from the inside out. At least, according to Uncle Luca. To do that to a mated pair, it is horrible. To do it twice, in killing Edward...well, I hope there is a hell for them to rot in. But I rejoice in you finding another. It is what makes this life worth living, is it not?"

Jasper nodded.

"She is lovely, your Bella?"

Jasper nodded again.

"But you and Emmett left your mates behind... For protection? I can understand that. These are uncertain times."

"I'm not sure leaving her with Rosalie was protecting her," Jasper said. "I don't know that I thought that through very well, to be honest."

"Ah, yes...the women, they can be quite volatile, can they not? It is always exciting when we visit home and Makenna is amongst her cousins. I much prefer our life on the Melita, I can tell you that. Your sister, Alice, now...she is without a mate," he said, sounding thoughtful.

"That is correct," Jasper said, cautious even though he could sense nothing threatening coming from Charles.

"Perhaps you should get Carlisle to come visit the family on Malta. Makenna has a few unnattached cousins. Perhaps she could find a suitable match. Even with the differences in diet, we at least have a similar...how would you say it? Social structure? And we share a love for the humans, too."

"Perhaps."

"A man of few words, aren't you? But truthful ones, at least," Charles said. "You have a gift, Jasper. Well, I have one, too. I can tell when I am being lied to, and I have heard no lies on our visit here today. It makes me happy, and it will make Makenna's uncle happy as well. Our dealings with the Volturi, however limited they were, were always full of deceit. A very unpleasant experience. Not as unpleasant as your family's dealings, I understand, but unpleasant nonetheless."

"So, are you done here?" Jasper asked bluntly.

Charles laughed. "Yes, I believe we are. We will, with Carlisle's permission of course, hunt tonight and sail on the tide tomorrow."

"It's Eleazar's territory," Jasper said.

"Ah, but I'm sure Eleazar defers to Carlisle's decisions, does he not? Even on something such as territorial rights."

Jasper nodded once, silently acknowledging that this was true.

Emmett joined them on deck, with Carlisle soon behind them. "They have moved on to baby pictures. Luca's family is very prolific, as always," Carlisle said, smiling.

"Times have been good to us, Carlisle, since the end of the war," Charles said, smiling too. "The babies you and Esme saw on your visit in the late forties are now great-grandparents themselves."

"I kinda wish Rosie and I had gone with them back then, now that I've seen some of the pictures," Emmett said, "instead of visiting Africa that year. Rosie sure would have liked all the babies..."

"You are always welcome, Emmett," Charles said. "Any of your family are welcome to visit. Uncle Luca has always been fond of Carlisle, and by extension, his children. Bring your mate. The females, they say it helps. The children, you understand..." Charles trailed off. "They say it can help them with what they miss."

Emmett nodded. "I think I may bring it up with her after this all blows over. Or sooner, if it blows up completely."

"Bring your sister, too," Charles said, glancing toward the hatch.

"Charles fancies himself a matchmaker," Jasper explained, seeing Emmett's and Carlisle's confused looks.

"Ah, yes, well thank you for the invitation," Carlisle said. "We'll definitely keep it in mind."

Later that evening, Emmett and Jasper sat in a smoky bar near the docks. Emmett had wanted some "manly bonding time", as he put it. While Carlisle hadn't been happy with the thought of Jasper wandering around where he could be seen, he finally agreed. They made multiple promises to both Esme and Carlisle that they would do nothing that would in any way jeopardize the family, even when Alice insisted she saw nothing in the way of trouble for the night. The brothers hadn't had much of a chance to spend any time together for quite some time, and Carlisle knew it was important that they get a chance to. So, after extracting one more promise from them that they would keep their heads down and their mouths shut, he waved them off.

Jasper hated bars. The smoke, the alcohol, the emotions—always on the edge of out-of-control, if not completely _over_ the edge—combined with the raging hormones and drove Jasper crazy. Emmett, though, loved them. He said it reminded him of his human life. So it was that, occasionally, Jasper found himself giving in and joining Emmett. Like tonight. It also pretty much guaranteed them privacy in their conversations, since none of their family ever had any desire to accompany them, and Alice tended to make an active effort to not look in on them.

"Do you think Bella's killed Rose yet?" Jasper asked, staring into his beer.

"Nah. I think you're in for a surprise there."

"I can't imagine what I was thinking, leaving her there. I just wanted her to not be _here_, to keep her out of harm's way, you know? And instead I leave her with Rose..." Jasper almost moaned.

"Jasper, dude, rein it in! And remember, that's my wife you're talking about."

"Yeah, well, you should be worried, too. It's your wife that'll come up missing a limb."

"Nah," Emmett said, taking a swig of beer before he remembered what he was doing. Jasper snickered at the look of disgust that crossed his face. "You underestimate them both. This'll be good for them. We all agreed—"

"You did? And when did this happen?" Jasper asked.

"While you two were out fucking—and fighting—in the woods. Rose agreed that she needed to try to, you know, make peace with Bella, or whatever. I mean, it's not like she hates her or anything, you know? But anyway...we figured it'd never happen, not with everybody staring at them all the time. So, we decided 'divide and conquer' might be the best bet."

Jasper looked at him in shock. "You...you deliberately separated us?"

Emmett looked at him. "Yeah, I guess we did. Man, Bella's not as in need of protection as you seem to think."

"You wouldn't say that if you'd spent as much time with her as I have," Jasper muttered. "Every time I turn around, she's in trouble."

"Yeah, well, how much trouble is she going to get into back in Wrangell? I don't mean to jinx it or anything by saying that...but really, I wouldn't have left Rose behind if there was real danger. Carlisle wouldn't have divided the family up if there was real danger. And you left Peter and Charlotte behind to help protect them. Not that they need it. So, you should just get your panties out of a wad. They'll be fine. They'll work it out, now that there isn't an audience. Hell, they're probably painting each other's nails even as we speak."

Jasper snorted. "Yeah, I'm not taking that bet. And if there are pieces missing when we get back, don't blame me."

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, each considering the various possibilities of what could be occurring back at the cabin. Jasper realized there wasn't anything he could do about it from Anchorage, so he tried to relax. It wasn't going well before Emmett spoke again.

"So," Emmett said, "you gonna fill me in on this "Uncle Luca" dude now?"

Jasper shook his head. "That needs to be Carlisle, man. I don't know all that much. I've never met him or any of his 'family' before today. I've heard about them, sure, but...they tend to stay close to home. They're kind of different. Luca, well, I guess he's almost as old as Aro and company were, but he stayed close to home after his change and somehow managed to not devour his entire family. And he's stayed home ever since, guarding them sort of. Every so often he changes another family member to help him take care of 'the family'. Makenna is his many many many times great grandchild."

Emmett considered this for a few moments. "Okay, that's really weird."

"Yeah, well, no weirder than we are."

"I wonder why Carlisle and Esme didn't take Rose and me with them on their last visit..."

"Well, you were both really young still, so I imagine that had something to do with it," Jasper said. "From what I gather, they live in close contact with their human kin. Not to mention, like Charles said, being that close to the Volturi always made Carlisle nervous, once he started his own coven."

"Yeah, I guess. Sounds like something Rosie might like to check out, though, especially if there's kids around... Kids that she can get close to."

Jasper nodded. Children held no interest for him. Alice had never expressed an interest when they were together, and Bella hadn't either.

"God, it smells really bad in here," Emmett said, wrinkling his nose.

"It always stinks in these places you pick out, Emmett," Jasper pointed out, leaning over to surreptitiously pour some of his drink out on the floor under the bar.

"No, man, I mean worse than usual. Don't you smell it?"

Jasper lifted his head and slowly turned it, trying to separate the different stenches and figure out what Emmett was referring to.

Sweat.

Nicotine.

Sex.

Stale beer.

Vomit.

Urine...

"Christ!" he growled, banging his head down on the bar, causing Emmett to look at him in mild panic. "You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me."

"Now, Jasper," came an accented voice from behind them, "is that any way to greet an old friend?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Happy Valentines day!  
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**Things I know very little about: Playing Bridge or Whist.**

**Chapter 7**

A coven of vampires huddled in the alley behind a dingy bar in an industrial section of Anchorage. If the patrons had been aware of who—or what—was just a few feet away from them, separated by a flimsy cement block wall, they would have fled screaming into the street.

As it was, they needn't have worried, as the vampires were too busy arguing amongst themselves to be any sort of threat to any nearby humans.

"Explain to me once again why we're here?" Alice said, looking around in disgust. "Because I am standing in vomit here, Jasper. Vomit and urine. I'm going to have to burn these boots, you realize. I don't understand why you didn't just kill it. Two to one. It shouldn't have been a problem."

"Alice!" Carlisle said sharply. "We don't just kill sentient beings out of hand. That's not who we are. They weren't being threatened."

"I think certain exceptions could be made to that rule, Carlisle. Not to mention that past threats should certainly be figured into the equation."

"Besides," Jasper said sourly, glaring at his brother, "Emmett didn't want me to. He feels he owes a debt—"

"I _do_ owe him a debt," Emmett said firmly. "If it weren't for him, I'd be walking around with one arm right now. Don't tell me that if the situation were reversed, you wouldn't feel a certain amount of warm fuzzies for the dude that gave you your arm back. Not to mention the fact that we were told not to make a scene or draw attention to ourselves. I'm pretty sure dismembering a dude in the bar would count as 'making a scene'. After all, its not like he'd go down without a fight like a human would."

"Fine," Alice said, glaring at the figure in question, who stood further down the alley, pointedly ignoring their conversation. "So you left him alive. That doesn't mean you had to haul us all down here to meet him. Just...let him go on his way. Live and let live."

"It's not that easy, Alice." Jasper sighed. "He wants our help."

"_Your_ help," Alice said firmly. "I did get _that_ much from your little tale. He wants _your _help."

"Yes, my help. And I can't send him on his way. He'll just follow us home."

"We're in a car. He can't track us."

"He's a _really_ good tracker, Alice. Driving off in the Tahoe isn't going to stop him. Trust me."

Alice huffed and fell silent.

"If you're so sure you can't get rid of him, why didn't you just bring him home with you?" Esme asked, joining the conversation—or argument—for the first time. "I have to agree with Alice. Was meeting in this vile alley really all that necessary?"

"Because...Carlisle said he wanted to use the town home as the place to meet with any vampires that come up this way looking for us. Do you really think having it smell like werewolf is something we want to do? I'm thinking that that is _not_ the image we want to present to the vampire community at large. And half that vile scent you smell right now is coming from _him_."

"I thought they didn't smell so...pungent...in their human form," Carlisle said, looking at the figure in question with a burning curiosity in his eyes.

Jasper sighed. He knew that look, and the feeling that was now oozing out from Carlisle in an almost visible cloud. Curiosity. Mstislav was as good as set up in the guest room, which they didn't have one of.

"He just came off the change. His smell will improve over the next couple days."

"It better," Alice warned.

"He just came off his change?" Esme asked worriedly. "Here? In Anchorage? Oh, my...that can't be safe. We can't let him just run around loose here. He could start biting people! We can't introduce _that _into North America. However did he manage to control himself...? Or did he?" She looked downright horrified now. "I feel like we have a certain responsibility there, don't you, Carlisle?"

Yep, Jasper thought, the guest bedroom was definitely in Mstislav's future, complete with the fancy guest towels.

"Chains," Mstislav offered helpfully, joining the conversation. They all turned to look at him in surprise. Standing almost 50 feet away from them, it was a reminder that they were dealing with someone who was no more human than they were. "I have chains. It is a well-tested method used by my family for generations."

"Chains?" Esme squeaked, turning to look at Jasper. "They can be contained by chaining them up? I thought they were as strong as we are..."

"Apparently a nasty rumor. Unless they are enraged. Or young," Jasper said. "I can't imagine who would have spread that one. According to Mstislav, they can indeed be chained up. With enough chains, it appears to work fine, as long as nothing enrages them further during that time period."

"Oh, and being surrounded by a bunch of his mortal enemies isn't going to enrage him?" Alice asked sarcastically. "I'd love to say, with all the power of my visions backing the statement up, that this is a REALLY STUPID IDEA, Jasper. But I can't, now can I? Because I can't see anything with him around! It's by far and away the stupidest fucking idea you've ever had. I can sure as hell tell Emmett had a hand in it." She glared at both her brothers.

"There's no need to talk like that, Alice," Esme chided. "While I wish there was some other way to handle this...are you quite sure he can follow us?"

"Quite sure," Mstislav said.

"You said he was looking for you, Jasper," Carlisle said, "but you didn't say why."

"He says I owe him a debt," Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

"A debt? And how does he figure that?"

"Because his relatives helped me destroy the Volturi."

"As I recall, he used _you_ in that endeavor."

"Revisionist history. Blame it on the Soviet influence in his life."

"But _why_? What does he _want_ from you?"

Jasper tipped his head back and let out a huff. "He's in love."

"Excuse me?" Carlisle, Esme, and Alice said, all at the same time.

"He is apparently in love. It seems he encountered an American woman while visiting Moscow this past winter. It seems he has formed some sort of...werewolfy attachment to her, and he wants me to help him find her."

Now they were all staring at him.

"You can't deny a man in love," Emmett added. "I mean, come on, look at that face..."

They all turned to look at Mstislav again.

"Um, yeah, not really tugging on my heartstrings here, Emmett," Alice said, turning back to continue her glare.

"Did you explain to him that we are sort of in the middle of a...situation of our own?" Carlisle asked.

"I did. Believe me, I did. He says he's willing to wait."

"Did you explain to him how _big_ the United States is? Does he really expect you to just be able to _find _this person?"

"Yeah, I explained that, too. It seems he has a bit of information for us to go on—_not _that I'm agreeing to help," Jasper hastened to add.

"I should think not," Esme said. "We can't just kidnap some poor unsuspecting woman and hand her over to a...a..."

"Don't say monster, please," Mstislav said. He'd appeared beside them. "We are all monsters here together, are we not? When you condemn me to that category, you condemn yourselves also. Just because we are not human does not mean that we are monsters."

"Too thick, dude," Emmett muttered.

Esme had quickly stepped behind Carlisle when Mstislav appeared in the group, and Jasper pulled Alice behind him and Emmett.

"All right," Carlisle sighed, "I suppose the long and short of it is we're stuck with him. For now. Esme is correct, we cannot let him run loose around here, especially as he'll just follow us home anyway. And certainly, if he is searching for his...mate?" he looked at Mstisalv, who nodded, "then he could cause even more trouble if we don't keep an eye on him, if the process is any similar to our own mating."

"Wonderful," Esme growled. "How are we supposed to get him home? I don't want him riding in the car...no offense," she hastened to add, glancing at Mstislav.

"None taken," he said.

"We thought maybe he could ride on the trailer, with the lumber and stuff," Emmett offered.

"Like _that _won't draw attention to us," Alice said.

"And it will be cold," Esme added.

"We can put him in a box. It'll be fine," Emmett said.

Mstislav was nodding. "I will be fine. Summer in Alaska is considerably warmer than winter in Siberia. I do not mind being in a packing crate for the trip."

"How appropriate," Esme murmured. "Well, we need to make sure to buy a cook stove of some sort tomorrow, and cooking..._things_. And some dishes. And food..." Her mind was clearly already off and running with new plans involving getting to cook for someone.

As if things weren't going to smell bad enough as it was, Jasper thought sourly, now they could add the smell of cooking food to the list of stenches in the cabin. He wondered how quickly he and Bella could finish one of the little cabins for themselves. Better yet, maybe Esme could be convinced to use one of the little cabins as a kitchen and keep it out of the main cabin completely.

"You realize, don't you, that Bella is going to kill him, right?" Alice asked, sounding almost cheerful. "Which will end the problem for us. And then, there's a good chance she's going to dismember Jasper _and _Emmett."

"You can see that?" Jasper asked.

"I don't _have _to see it. I know my sister."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"Nice place you have here," Bella said, getting out of the truck and looking around the small clearing that surrounded the house.

Rose shrugged. "It's not much, but it's cozy. It has electricity, wi fi, running water—HOT running water—and easy access to the national forest. And the neighbors can't see us. And, no, you and Jasper cannot move in with us here. But you're more than welcome to come by and use the shower."

"I wasn't going to ask," Bella said stiffly.

"I know you weren't. I'm just saying. Emmett and I really need the break from your mate, if you know what I mean. All of this is stressing me out, and King Jackass isn't helping matters. We just need to...be apart. Hell, you're probably ready to have a little space, too. His attitude can't be easy on you, either."

"Jasper is just concerned for his mate," Peter said.

"Yeah, well, I can understand that. Bella is a danger magnet. But he needs to tone that shit down out here in the back of beyond."

"I'm not making it easy on him," Bella said quietly. "I'm just...all over the place. I need to learn to control myself more."

Rose snorted. "Bullshit. Your control is just fine. Okay, shower is through there. You three decide who's going first. The laundry room is that way. I'm gonna check the computers, see what we've missed while I was gone. Peter, the TV's through there. Holler if you need any help with the controller."

"You go first in the shower," Bella told Charlotte, watching Peter head towards the living room. "I want to talk to Rose."

"All right. Thank you," Charlotte said.

"Shampoo and soap are in the cupboard under the sink!" Rose hollered.

"What makes you think I have good control?" Bella asked Rose, curiously, following her into the second bedroom. Several computers were set up on tables around the room, all blinking lights and humming drives.

"Because. When Jasper left you hanging back there in the woods earlier today? If that had been Emmett, I would have ripped his dick off and finished the job myself," Rose said bluntly, busying herself at a keyboard, not looking up at Bella.

Laughter came from the bedroom and the bathroom. If Bella could have blushed, she would have.

"Did everybody know...?" she began.

"Bella, there are no secrets, remember? Personally, I don't know what the hell Alice was thinking, calling you in like that. She could have freakin' waited. It's not like 30 minutes would have mattered. I guess she just freaked out, seeing Jasper go all "Rambo" on Charles and Makenna if they came back to the house."

"I think she just wanted to interrupt us," Bella muttered.

Rose stopped and looked up. "Jealousy? You think Alice is jealous?"

Bella shrugged.

Rose considered this for a moment. The silence of listening vampires came from the other rooms. Bella, for her part, appreciated not having her worries dismissed or thrown back in her face, even if she was surprised at the source of support.

"I don't think so..." Rose said thoughtfully. "I really don't. Alice, though...she often acts first, off the cuff, when she gets her visions, especially when she's stressed. And to be honest, it's probably going to take some getting used to for her, not having Jasper right there at her beck and call."

"Well," Bella said, "she'd _better _get used to it."

"Do you want to help me here?" Rose said, indicating she was done with the conversation.

"Um...no thanks," Bella said, backing out of the door. "Computers were never my strong point."

"Suit yourself."

"Rose!" Peter hollered from the living room. "Do y'all get that Judge Judy show on here?"

"KXD!" she hollered back. "That's 147 on our dish. It comes on at three, but I think if you try over on 265 it's streaming all day!"

"Excellent!" Peter crowed.

"Yeah," Bella muttered under her breath. "Excellent."

Three hours later, the four of them were sitting around the table in the kitchen, playing cards.

"I love Canasta," Rose said. "I used to play it all the time with my mother and her friends."

"Me too!" Charlotte said. "And Bridge. Do you play Bridge?"

"I do. Esme does, too. She adores it. The boys aren't too keen on it, but Carlisle will play sometimes."

"Maybe Alice could join us?" Charlotte asked. "Then we'd have four girls!"

Rose shook her head. "You can't play games with Alice. She always wins."

"Well...Carlisle, then. I'm so glad you seem to be enjoying this, Bella."

"Anything's better than Judge Judy," Bella said, studying her cards and scowling.

"I can't believe you don't like Judge Judy," Peter said, pretending to look hurt.

"It's such an _old_ person show to watch," Bella said. "I can't believe _you _like it!"

"But, Miss Bella, I _am_ an old person," Peter said. "I'm the oldest person in this room, both in physical age _and_ years spent on this planet. Older, and wiser. Wisdom that you, too, could absorb if you'd only sit down and watch Judge—"

"Shut up, Peter," all three women chorused.

"Children," he muttered.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

By the time the sun was well on its way to midday the next day, Bella had mastered the finer points of Canasta, Whist, Pinochle, and she had a good start on Bridge. She'd also grown seriously sick of playing cards, although she appeared to be alone in this among the vampires at the table.

"I've gotta hunt," she announced, after a particularly sad hand of Bridge.

"Didn't you and Jasper just hunt yesterday before...well, you know?" Rosalie asked, shuffling the cards and not looking up at her.

"That was just an excuse to get him to come with me," Bella said. "We didn't hunt."

"You shouldn't need an excuse," Rose said. "He's your mate. You tell him, 'Jasper, I need you. Now,' and then you take him out in the woods."

"I don't think that would work right now," Bella said. "I mean, normally I think he'd be all over it, but now..."

"He's in 'battle mode'," Charlotte injected, trying to be helpful. "They get that way, males do, when they think we're being threatened. Just wait, Rose. Your Emmett would be the same way if you were threatened. You should see Peter when he gets this way. He's impossible to deal with, really."

"I'm sitting right here," Peter mumbled.

"Nobody's threatened Bella around here," Rose pointed out.

"Well, he has a hard time coming down outta that mode, you know?" Peter said.

"Yeah, we've pretty much all noticed that. Well, Bella, I'll go with you...unless you want to, Peter and Charlotte?"

"No, thanks. We'll pass," Peter said. "Its about time for some _Big Brother_, I'm thinking. Join me, Charlotte?"

"Umm...sure," Charlotte said, not sounding sure at all.

A few minutes later Bella and Rosalie were several miles south of the cabin. "There are some bogs up ahead where we've been finding a lot of moose," Rose said quietly.

"You didn't have to come babysit me," Bella said. "I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself and finding my way home, despite whatever Jasper might have told you."

Rose snorted. "You're preaching to the choir, Bella. This isn't about you. Carlisle issued a 'Only Hunt in Pairs' order years ago, and he hasn't lifted it. I guess you didn't get the memo."

"I guess not."

"Well, since we all normally hunt with our mates, he probably just didn't get around to telling you yet."

"Yeah...I guess. Rose, why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"

Rose stopped, and Bella did too, turning to look at her.

"Bella, I don't dislike you. You _are _my sister. But...I'm a bitch. Always have been, and I guess I always will be, since we're blessed to be so freakin' 'unchanging' in this endless life of ours. And situations like this just brings out the worst in me. And you were an easy target. So...just tell me to fuck off from now on."

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Fuck off."

Rose laughed and took off through the brush, Bella close on her heels. Hunting with another vampire that wasn't Jasper was...different. She wasn't sure she liked it at all. It took self control on her part, in a way she wasn't use to, to not snarl at Rose when they came upon a large bull moose and Rose pulled it down before Bella had a chance to attack.

It took even more control to approach when Rose beckoned her over. "There's plenty for both of us here, if you're not horribly thirsty," Rose said, raising her head from the neck.

Bella nodded but was still hesitant to approach. Rose rolled the huge animal over and offered Bella the femoral artery. "If it will make you feel better to be at the opposite end..." she began.

Bella wrinkled her nose. "It stinks down there."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Then get up here on the neck with me. Christ, Bella, I'm not going to bite."

That did it. Bella took it as the challenge that it was, and in an instant she was crouched on the other side of the moose's neck, maintaining eye contact with Rosalie and helping her drain the huge bull. When they were done, Rose stood up and brushed her jeans off. "We don't have to bury it out here," she said. "We just leave them for the scavengers, unless we're really close to humans."

"Rose?" Bella asked, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I bit you."

Rose stopped and looked at Bella, holding her eye. "It has been pointed out to me by several family members that I brought it on myself. And I'd have to agree with that assessment, as much as it pains me to admit it, but...apology accepted. I can't promise I won't piss you off again. Like I said, I'm a bitch. But, again, a simple 'fuck off' would be really nice from now on. Not only am I a bitch, I am vain."

"I can do that," Bella said, nodding. And she realized, to her surprise, that she probably could. It was progress in her effort to reintegrate into the coven. And what an odd quarter to make progress in. "When do you think they'll get back?"

"Not until tomorrow, at least. They'll call if it's going to be longer."

"I don't think I can take any more card playing. I really don't."

"Really?" Rose said. She actually sounded disappointed. "Well...okay. Maybe it's time to introduce Peter and Charlotte to electronic video games, because I can't take that crap he watches on television."

Bella laughed. "Me either. Okay, how about a little Super Mario Brothers when we get back?"

As it turned out, Rose didn't think any of them were ready for the Wii controllers, or the X-box, or the PlayStation. Replacement controllers were a little harder to come by here. Running to the corner Walmart was not an option, and Emmett would not be happy if his babies were broken. Bella had never played video games after her change, and Peter and Charlotte were completely foreign to the concept. Rose approached the whole thing very scientifically, hauling out an aged Nintendo console. After an hour of duck hunt, Super Mario Brothers, Tetris, and Zelda—during which they'd managed to only break three controllers and one pistol between them—she moved them up to the Nintendo 64.

Another 24 hours went by, and all four vampires were now thoroughly engrossed in the video game world.

"There, now," Rosalie said as they watched Peter steer a souped up Prius around a virtual track somewhere in Europe, "maybe we've seen the last of Judge Judy."

"We can only hope," Charlotte murmured.

"Hey, I heard that," Peter said, not taking his eyes from the screen.

Suddenly Bella's head swung in the direction of the road. "There they go," she whispered.

Rose's head turned, too. "Yes..." she hissed, sounding pleased.

"I wonder why they didn't come here first?" Bella asked, jumping up and running to grab the clean laundry that sat in baskets in the kitchen.

"I don't know. Peter, turn that shit off. I've gotta...dammit, I need to check everything one last time before we leave. Give me just two minutes," Rose said, running into the computer room.

She reappeared almost exactly two minutes later. "All right, let's go, let's go!" She herded them all out to the truck. Starting it up, she quickly pealed out of the driveway, the tires squealing as they pulled onto the road that led to the highway.

"Shit," she said. "I've gotta get gas. Dammit, I should have stopped on the way down here. What the fuck was I thinking?" She sped into Glennallen, speeding through town and pulling into the gas station. She hopped out and slammed the door, almost yanking the gas line out of the pump.

"She gets a little wound up, doesn't she?" Peter asked, watching Rose through the truck's back window.

"It's difficult to be separated from your mate," Charlotte said quietly.

Peter turned to her and leaned over to kiss her softly. "That's why I'm not ever gonna let you get too far away, babe."

Bella watched them and tried to push down the jealousy that suddenly appeared. If it was so easy for Peter to refuse to be separated from Charlotte, why did it seem so easy for Jasper to leave for days at a time?

She didn't have time to dwell on the thought, though, because Rose was back in the cab and they were speeding off again.

They were going so fast that Bella thought they might actually catch up with the rest of the coven on the highway, but it didn't happen. By the time they arrived at the cabin, the Tahoe and trailer were parked in the driveway and nobody was in sight.

"They sure did buy a lot of stuff," Bella said, looking at the flatbed trailer that was loaded down with lumber and a variety of crates and boxes. "Where is everybody?"

"I don't know," Rose said, hopping out of the truck. She immediately started gagging. "What the hell is that smell?"

Bella got out and took a deep breath. "Oh, no..." she whimpered.

"What?" Peter asked, following Charlotte out of the back seat. He scented the air and immediately shoved Charlotte back into the truck. A low growl started in his chest. Bella instinctively stepped closer to him, and he pulled her behind him, too, shoving her in after Charlotte.

"What? What is it?" Rose asked, coming around the truck to stand next to Peter but not going any closer to the cabin. Emmet and Jasper appeared on the front porch.

"Emmett?" Rose shrieked. "What the hell have you done now?"

"Yeah, brother...what _have_ you done?" Peter asked, staring hard at Jasper.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the delay - ffnet did some major weirdness with the document, and I didn't have time to fix it up this morning. If there is any other weirdness, I apologize. I was busy fixing every freaking quote mark.  
><strong>

**Something I don't know much about: The proper aging of logs for building log cabins.**

**Chapter 8**

"Jasper!" Bella shouted from inside the truck. "Jasper! It's him! It's Mstislav! You have to do something! We're all in danger!" She couldn't understand why Jasper wasn't reacting to the stench like he should be. Surely he recognized it, remembered it for what it was. But he and Emmett just continued to slowly approach the truck.

Peter's growl increased in volume. "What the hell is goin' on here, Jasper?" he spit out.

"We've had a little problem pop up," Jasper said, holding his hands out to Peter, clearly trying to placate him. "Just let me explain. Come on up to the cabin and I'll—"

"Fuck that!" Peter snarled. "We're not going anywhere near there."

"Jasper!" Bella cried, trying to claw her way past Peter, but he shoved her back in the truck. "Let me out!" she said, pushing against his back and trying to get past him.

Let her out, Peter," Jasper said. "Come here, Bella. It's all right, I promise."

With a reluctant growl, Peter stood aside and let Bella out of the truck. She rushed to Jasper's side, running her hands over him, searching for damage. "What happened? Where is he? Have you killed him?"

"Uh, not exactly..." Jasper said.

"Would somebody mind explaining to me what the hell is going on here?" Rose demanded. Up at the cabin, Esme, Carlisle, and Alice appeared on the porch.

"What do you mean not exactly?" Bella shrieked. "You have to kill it! Now, Jasper! If you won't, I will!"

"Told you so," Alice said, sounding smug.

"Uh, we sorta met up with...Jasper and Bella's old friend, Mstislav, while we were in Anchorage," Emmett said.

"He's not our friend!" Bella yelled.

"A WEREWOLF? You brought a WEREWOLF home with you?" Rose yelled, almost matching Bella in volume and pitch.

"Well...yes," Jasper said.

"That's it. Charlotte, we're out of here. Get out of the truck. We'll walk," Peter said, turning and grabbing Charlotte, pulling her from the truck. "This is too fucked up even for me!"

"Let us explain," Jasper said. "Hear us out first before you make any hasty decisions."

"Explain?" Bella said, stepping away from Jasper. "EXPLAIN? How the hell can you possibly explain this in such a way that I'm not gonna want to kill it?"

"Just listen first, Bella. Don't give in to your instincts yet."

"Sometimes, Jasper, it's _good_to give in to our instincts. _You_taught me that!"

"But this isn't one of those times," Emmett said. "Don't blame Jasper. He wanted to kill Mstislav, too, back in Anchorage. Blame me. It was my decision to leave him alive. He gave me my arm back. I owe him."

"So you had to bring him home, too?" Rose asked in disbelief. "How the hell did you come to that decision?"

"Uh, well...that part wasn't really any of our faults. He sort of just invited himself along. Blackmail, really, wouldn't you say, Jasper?"

Jasper was nodding frantically. "Yeah, blackmail. Definitely. He was going to follow us no matter what, Bella. You know how he is..."

Bella took a deep breath, and Jasper could feel her making a huge effort to relax herself. He wanted to help her, but he didn't dare try to influence her in any way. "All right. Explain. And _then_I'm gonna tear him apart."

"Jasper nodded. "Right, then. Come up to the cabin."

"Is he in here?" Bella asked, eyeing the cabin suspiciously and refusing to move.

"Um, no. Esme didn't want him in the cabin."

"Well, at least somebody is thinking with some sense," Rose said, stomping towards the cabin, sailing past Emmett without sparing him a glance.

"You coming, Peter?" Jasper asked, putting his arm around Bella.

"Yeah, I suppose so. Come on, Charlotte. I guess we'll at least hang around for whatever cock-and-bull story Jasper's dreamed up."

"Weren't you just saying how entertaining we were?" Jasper asked over his shoulder.**  
><strong>  
>"That was before you started bringing stray animals home," Peter answered.<p>

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Bella announced once Jasper and Emmett were done stammering through their story, followed by all the justifications for the decisions and actions that followed.

"I'd have to agree with Bella on this one," Rose said. "So, what are we supposed to do during the full moon? Just tie him up...like a dog?"

"Yeah, sort of," Emmett said.

"Stupid. And Dangerous," Peter said. "If we just kill it, we don't have to do _anything_. It's not like he's got anybody to back him up."

"I owe him, man," Emmett said, but he sounded much less sure about this than he had before Rose had gotten a hold of him for an hour of arguing.

"Carlisle?" Rose said, turning to the coven leader. "Are you telling me that you agree with this stupidity?"

Carlisle looked uncomfortable. "Well, I can't deny that it's an unprecedented opportunity to study a species that has traditionally been an enemy of ours, in a setting that is non-confrontational. Adding to the knowledge base isn't a bad idea, Rosalie."

Rose stared at him. "So. He's a science experiment and a chink in your moral armor. Anything else I'm missing here?"

"And, if it becomes necessary, we can always destroy him at a later date. But you know how I feel about killing a sentient being."

"Riiiight," she said, recognizing defeat when she saw it. "All right, then. We're leaving."

"What?" Esme cried. "You can't be serious!"

"We're leaving for the moment, Esme," Rose said. "We need to get back to our monitoring, or has everybody forgotten what's going on in the excitement of getting a new pet?"

"Oh, of course," Esme said.

"We'll be back in a couple days if, as you say, the stench really does fade. Emmett, get in the truck."

"But Rose..."

_"Now_, Emmett. I'm not very happy right now..." She let the threat hang in the air.

"Right. Okay, folks, we'll be back in a few days." Emmett hurried out of the cabin after his mate.

"Whipped," Jasper muttered under his breath. Bella glared at him, raising one eyebrow.

"Um, I hate to bring this up," Peter said, "but if we're going to be sticking around for this three-ring circus you've got going here, Charlotte and I are _really_ going to have to feed soon."

"Oh, uh, right. Well, we'll disconnect the trailer and take the Tahoe into Fairbanks, I guess. Just give me a few minutes." Jasper turned to Bella, preparing to calm her down.

But she was already calm.

She was going to take a page out of Rosalie's book. And she hadn't forgotten Jasper's explanation of how this whole "ordering" thing worked between mates.

"No," she said calmly.

"Excuse me?" Jasper said, sounding—and feeling—shocked.

"That's our cue to leave," Carlisle murmured, pulling Esme and Alice from the room.

"I said no, Jasper. Are you deaf as well as stupid?" Bella said, a little louder.

"Um, yeah, our cue too," Peter said, disappearing with Charlotte.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"You are _not_ going with Peter and Charlotte and leaving me here again," Bella said. "Peter is perfectly capable of driving the Tahoe. After all, you aren't supposed to be going out in public at all, _are _you? Certainly not playing chauffeur to a couple of human drinkers who are going to look for dinner in a major city."

"They need me to—"

"They _need_y ou for nothing, Jasper. I bet, if Esme gives them the money and a list, they might even be capable of picking up any supplies she decides she needs. _I _need you Jasper. Your _mate _needs you. I will not be left here alone with a werewolf. I don't feel safe with one nearby, Jasper."

"But Carlisle—"

"But nothing! You, Jasper Whitlock, have obviously lost your mind. Have you forgotten _everything_ that happened to us in Siberia? Because I sure as hell haven't. My scars hurt just _knowing_ there's one in the area, let alone in the freaking _house_, and I refuse to stay here with that thing in the vicinity. So, you are staying here, with me, and keeping me safe." Bella nodded sharply to emphasize her words.

"Uh...yes. Of course. You're right. I'll just go tell Peter...make sure if Esme wants him to pick anything up while they're in town," Jasper said. "I'll be right back. Stay right here."

"I will," Bella said serenely, watching him back out of the cabin.

"Nicely done, Bella," Carlisle said, silently appearing beside her.

"Thank you," Bella said. "It was really something Rose said to me earlier."

"Ah, yes, it definitely has the feel of her touch about it. I'm glad to see you are getting along better with her."

"Yes, we've come to an understanding," Bella said. "Do you think it was wrong of me to do that to Jasper?" she asked, suddenly worried about her actions and how Jasper might really take them. He didn't seem like the type to like being ordered around, and she really didn't think it was her place...but she hadn't been lying, either. She was, quite honestly, terrified to be this close to a werewolf.

"Not at all. Jasper can read emotions, but he doesn't always understand what is behind them, despite his decades of practice. _He _can't read your mind, Bella. You need to be up front and honest with him when you need—or want—something from him or your relationship. We are not in such a state of emergency right now that individuals' needs have to be overlooked for the good of the family. Even with our new...house guest. And I'd say fear _of_ that house guest is more than a legitimate fear, at least for you, considering your experiences. Just remember, this particular individual has never attacked us."

"You're not afraid of him?"

"Not at this moment, no. Ask me again at the full moon."

"I still don't like it," she said.

"I wouldn't expect you to. We've asked him to stay out at the furthest cabin, and he's agreed to remain down there, at least until things calm down a bit."

"I can't believe Jasper and Emmett are actually considering playing matchmaker."

"Yes, well...only time will tell what happens in that area. I have a feeling that we have an uneasy truce, at best. I cannot in good conscience allow one of my coven to destroy someone who is showing no threat to us, but I wouldn't be surprised if we wake up one morning and find him dead. You are not the only one fighting your instincts right now, Bella."

"We don't sleep, Carlisle."

"Merely a figure of speech, Bella."

"So...how long are we going to be up on this roof?" Jasper asked. From his position, lying perpendicular to her with his head on her stomach, he could think of worse places to be.

"I don't know. How long do werewolves live?" Bella asked.

"Hmm...pretty long, I think. Mstislav's been around for centuries, or so he says."

"Huh. That's a long time. Well...in that case, how long does he plan on staying around here? Because that's how long I plan on being up here."

"Um...he could be here for a while, I'm thinking."

"Well, then, I'll be up here _for a while_."

"It's gonna rain eventually, you know."

"I don't mind a little rain."

"Your e-reader will, and so will the new MP3 player I just bought you."

Bella clutched them both to her chest a little tighter. "Somebody will bring me up a plastic bag to put them in," she said stubbornly.

"Mmmhmm...probably, but I only put a few songs on there. I wasn't sure what you'd like, and Emmett said we could come by their house sometime and you could pick out some downloads for it, which would require getting off the roof."

"That's okay. I like the songs you put on there."

He lifted his head to look at her, doubt in his eyes. "Bella, they're songs from the middle of the 19th century. I put them on there as a joke, sort of."

"That's okay," she said defensively, "I enjoyed hearing things you might have listened to as a human."

"Well, that's mighty nice of you to say that, but maybe I'd like to see what kind of music _you_ enjoy, too." He smiled at her and laid on the charm, careful not to manipulate her emotions in the process. In spite of all her stress, she had yet to raise her shield against him, and he didn't want that to change.

"No, really, _Aura Lea _is great. I prefer Elvis' version, but hey! And _The Yellow Rose of Texas_...don't even get me started. I could listen to it for hours."

Jasper laughed. "Now I _know _you're lying. Although it _is_ a great song, one I feel is way under-appreciated by members of this family. Well, fine, you don't need more music, and you don't need more books, and apparently you don't plan on feeding any time soon..." He tapped his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment before resuming his original position with his head resting on her midsection.

After a moment of silence, though, he spoke again. "But..." He shifted his head a little and lifted her shirt up, blowing lightly on the skin of her stomach and watching her quiver. Lust rose in him, and he sat up and slowly manoeuvred himself further until he was kneeling, his legs on either side of her hips and his weight resting lightly on her upper thighs. Pushing her shirt up, he started to run his tongue along her skin in a line following her retreating shirt. He paused a moment and looked up at her. "I think that perhaps there might be other drawbacks..." He lowered his head again, moving slowly and teasingly towards her breast. She squirmed under him in delight.

"Don't even _think _about doing that on my roof!" came an irate shriek from Esme, almost directly below them in the cabin.

"See what I mean?" Jasper said, rolling off her and moving to lay beside her, leaving one hand enticingly on her still bare stomach.

"Well, hell!" Bella said, almost gasping. "How long did you say he's going to smell bad?"

"He's almost back to his normal, um, aroma. Barely detectable."

She sat up and looked at him doubtfully. "So...I won't have the urge to rip him to shreds?"

"I didn't say _that_," Jasper said, "but he's not coming up here...and you don't need to go down there."

"I'll think about it," Bella said, laying back down and shutting her eyes. "Ask me again tomorrow."

"All right. I'm just going to, um, run down and check on him, make sure he's not plotting our destruction or something..."

"You do that. But don't be gone too long."

"What the hell is he doing down there making all that noise?" Bella asked Jasper when he hopped up on the roof to re-join her a couple hours later.

"He's working on the little cabins," Jasper said. "We brought back enough roofing for all of them. Turns out he's pretty handy at back woods construction projects. Who'd a thought it?"

"Yes, who would have... So he's just, what, literally making himself at home?"

"Well, he's mainly making sure the walls are good to go and the beams are strong enough to support the roofs. We brought enough metal to do all the roofs, and obviously there are plenty of logs for fixing the walls and roof beams. He's about done with that last one in the row. Esme wants him to go ahead and roof it, and she'll move the kitchen stuff into it for him to use."

"So he gets the first finished cabin?" she asked, sounding a little outraged.

"Well, what do you care, Bella?" Jasper asked, trying to hide his laugh. "You're going to live up here for the next few years, right? By the way, Esme gave me a tarp for us, in case it rains."

"Well...I mean...maybe Rose and Emmett want a cabin. Or Alice."

"Uh huh."

Jasper lay down and snuggled next to her, and she took a couple of deep breaths through her nose.

"Smell anything?" he asked.

"No. So...what color is he going to use for the roof?"

"We brought back several different colors. I think he's going to use purple."

"But...I thought _we_ were going to have purple on ours?"

"_We_ are having a green tarp. On a green roof. But, if you want, I'm sure there's more than enough purple roofing. Actually, its more of a plum...but the red we picked up for Rose is really nice, too."

"It's going to look goofy, having all these different colored roofs next to each other."

"Not really," Jasper said. "The trees are so thick between the cabins that you can't see any of the others. It's almost like being alone."

"Almost," Bella said.

Jasper could tell she was breaking.

"You really should come check them out. Esme said we could have the one closest to the house if it would make you feel more comfortable."

"Hmm..."

"Please?" Jasper whispered, leaning in to nuzzle her. "Pleeeeaaase can we come down off the roof?" He began kissing her along her jawline. He felt the faint pressure that told him she'd encased them both in her shield, and he unleashed a wave of lust at her. He was ready to play dirty.

She stifled a moan and was careful to not make _too _much noise as he settled himself between her legs, grinding his hips into her and pulling the tarp over them.

"Cut it out, you two! Right now! Or I'm sending your father up there to pull you down off my roof! I said you could live up there, I didn't say you could engage in any nookie!"

"How does she _do _that?" Bella asked.

Jasper rolled back off her. "She's a mother. With lots of practice. You should hear about all the damage Rose and Emmett have done to her houses through the years. It's a very touchy subject with her. She can sense her children engaging in a little 'nookie' from 10 miles away, especially when it involves real estate."

Bella sighed. "Maybe...maybe we could go look at that cabin. The one closest to the house, and furthest from the wolf."

"Good idea."

"It burned down," Bella said, looking at the little cabin that stood closest to the big cabin—or _had_, until it had burned down to the ground. Nothing was left but the stone foundation, a tumbled down stone fireplace, and a heap of burned logs.

"Well, yes...it needs a lot of work."

"Do you know what you're doing?" she asked doubtfully.

"I can honestly say I have never built a log cabin before. But how hard could it be?"

She looked at him. "Seriously? Pretty damn hard, I'd think. Just because we're strong, doesn't mean we're an expert at every skill out there. Or are we, and I just didn't get that memo, either?"

"Um, no. You'd be right about that. But I think if we just watched a couple how-to videos, we'd be good to go. That's how it usually works on most things for us. Or we could just ask Mstislav to help us."

Bella ignored the comment about the werewolf. "Well...so, you really do think we can do it? Just you and me? From watching a video?"

"I do. Wanna run down to Rose and Emmett's place and borrow their wi fi?"

Bella pursed her lips and looked thoughtful. "I'd feel more comfortable waiting for Peter and Charlotte to get back first. I know everybody keeps saying that he's harmless, but...I don't want to leave Carlisle, Esme, and Alice here without more people around."

"They should be back today, according to Alice," Jasper said. "So, while we're waiting, we'll clear this stuff out of the way."

Three hours later, the site had been cleared and the rocks re-stacked for the foundation. Esme had enough cement to use as mortar, and Jasper pointed out that it should be dry by the time they were actually ready to put down logs. Right on time, Peter and Charlotte drove down the lane. After explaining where they were going, and exchanging pleasantries, Jasper and Bella headed south through the woods, heading for their siblings' house on foot.

"Things seem better between them," Esme said, coming up beside Carlisle, who was standing on the porch watching Bella and Jasper disappear into the trees. "I was starting to worry that maybe bringing them all here wasn't a good idea after all."

"No, it was the right decision. Bella will settle into family life much easier in an environment like this than she ever would have if we were trying to live among humans. In a decade or two, we'll see about moving back. Although, I thought for a while Rosalie would cause problems."

"Yes, me too. I was re-thinking your decision to not tell the other children what we were doing...but Rose seems to have settled down, too."

"She and Emmett will be happy in the house there. They're close but have the comforts of civilization. That will work out nicely, too, although I worry she'll hold it over the other's heads."

Esme laughed. "I think Alice is the only one who might care about that. Jasper and Bella are perfectly happy without all the extras. Even bringing the werewolf home didn't cause the distress I thought it would—well, at least not to the _extent _I thought it would. I really thought he'd be dead by now, to be honest with you."

"I did, too." Carlisle smiled. "If you'll notice, though, Jasper's busy focusing on Bella's immediate protection, and he's managed to not incite panic and riot in the rest of us for almost three days now."

"I'm glad she's come down off the roof."

Carlisle laughed. "I bet you are. I'm not sure how much longer your threats would have been effective. And, quite frankly, there was no way I was really going to go up there and try to pull them down, especially if they were in the middle of 'nookie', as you say."

"She was concerned with our safety. She wouldn't leave the family until Peter and Charlotte came back. Quite a change from the girl who wanted to run away, even just a few days ago."

"Yes. I heard that, too."

"Bringing the werewolf home with us has had some unintended consequences. Good ones, I think."

"Indeed."

Esme looked at him in surprise. "You knew this would happen!"

"I _hoped _it might happen," Carlisle corrected her.

"And if you'd been wrong?"

"Well, those weren't the only reasons I let him come back with us. There is still my over-reaching search for knowledge, as Jasper once pointed out, and your need to feed somebody. And, if I'm wrong about him, it's still nine to one. No matter how wily of an old wolf he is, those are deadly odds in anybody's book. He'll never lay a tooth on you, believe me."

"What is that stench?" Bella asked, wrinkling her nose and staring off through the woods.

"Moose," Jasper said. "Here, pass me that log over there. Dammit, I wish we'd gone ahead and marked them like the video suggested. I thought we'd remember which was which, but they all look alike to me."

"Hmm..." Bella said, looking carefully under the log to see the identifying letter she'd surreptitiously scratched on it when they'd been cutting and peeling the logs the day before. She'd learned long ago not to trust _her_vampire memory. At least one of them was making sure the right log was going in the right place. "Yeah, pretty sure this is the one you want. And it doesn't smell like moose to me."

_"Cooked _moose," Jasper clarified. "Esme and Carlisle brought him back a tenderloin. He's roasting it up, I think, based on the smell."

"Ah... Jasper?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I'm really, really, really sorry."

"Whatever for, sweetheart?" Jasper asked, concern in his voice as he stopped what he was doing and looked down at her from his perch on the roof beam of the new cabin.

"For all those meals Esme cooked for me at your house when I was still human."

Jasper laughed. "Believe me, sweetheart, you were worth it. Even then."

"I wasn't even yours then," she said quietly.

"Doesn't matter. You were my brother's, Bella, and nothing and no one had ever made him happier than you did. I would have stood the smell of cooked liver and onions every day for eternity for him to have that feeling."

Bella didn't know how to respond to that. It still hurt—a lot—to think about Edward. She usually shied away from it. She definitely didn't want Jasper to ever think she didn't love him now, more than anything.

"Hey, are you sure about the roof color?" Jasper asked, changing the subject. 

Can't fool an empath, she thought wryly. She sent a wave of appreciation his way.

"Anytime, baby. Anytime. Seriously, though, because once this roof goes up, I'm not changing it."

"I though you wanted purple?" Bella asked.

"Well, I was kind of joking with you when I said that. But now that I've seen it on the other cabin, I kind of like it."

Bella hesitated.

"Maybe we should go take a look? Just to be sure?" he asked, jumping down to land beside her.

"Yeah...that would probably be a good idea," she said slowly. "But not too close," she hastened to add.

"No, not too close. It sits back off the path... Well, they all do. But we don't have to get too close." He grabbed her hand and led her back along the overgrown lane, now little more than a path, that wound its way past all the cabins and eventually led to the riverbank.

Mstislav came out of his cabin when they approached, looking at Jasper questioningly.

"Just looking," Jasper explained. Mstislav nodded at them.

"How's it coming?" Jasper asked.

"It is coming along well. I have started on the floor now. Would you like to see?"

Jasper looked at Bella, who frantically shook her head. She refused to look in Mstislav's direction.

"No, not today. Maybe I'll come down later and take a look. We just wanted to see how the roof looked."

"Ah, of course. Are you using the same color?"

"Thinking about it."

"There is enough for another cabin, should you choose to use it," Mstislav said.

"Thanks. Well, we'll just be going now," Jasper said, drawing Bella back with him. She didn't turn tail and run, but Jasper knew she wanted to.

"See," he whispered in her ear as they hurried back up the trail. "That wasn't so bad."

"Speak for yourself," she muttered.

"I think the color looks great," Rose said, walking around their cabin. She knocked on the logs and picked at the now-dry chinking. "It was hard to do?" she asked.

"Not so much," Jasper said. "I showed Emmett the link with the video that we used."

"The new logs look nice."

"Yeah, well, they didn't dry like they were supposed to. We'll have to keep re-doing the chinking as they shrink. Not such a big deal for us, since we're not human, but still. If we're going to be here for a while, I'm thinking about harvesting some more trees this fall and letting them cure right for a couple years. Then I'll re-do it."

"Hmm..."

"Just something to consider," Jasper said. "Most of the other cabins aren't in this bad of shape. But we wanted the one closest to Esme and Carlisle." He didn't bother saying that it was really more of a case of Bella wanting the one furthest from Mstislav. "I mean, it took us two weeks to finish it, but we had to wait for stuff to dry and it took a couple trips to Fairbanks by Carlisle and Esme for more supplies. But except for furniture, it's done."

"I think I'm still going to go with the red," Rose finally said. "What do you think, Emmett?"

"I think whatever makes you happy makes me happy, Rosie baby."

"Red. Definitely red."

"You're moving back?" Bella asked, sounding happy. 

"Oh, no. Not yet. But it's always a good idea to think ahead. We'll be keeping the house until Jasper's mess is cleaned up. We just came over today to let you know that we know for sure when your segment is airing."

"WHAT?" Bella asked. "Why didn't Alice say anything?"

"I have no idea," Rose said. "Believe it or not, she doesn't see _everything_, Bella."

"Well, when is it?"

"Tonight."

There was silence.

"WHAT?" Bella yelled. "TONIGHT? How the hell did that sneak up on us?"

"I have no clue."

"I think maybe they made a last minute substitution," Emmett said. "It wasn't listed on the line-up when I checked just a couple days ago. Now, it is. Probably why Alice didn't see it, either. Speaking of, where the hell is everybody?"

"They all drove into Anchorage," Jasper said. "Garrett, apparently, was coming through town. Carlisle wanted to talk to him in person. Alice went to help Esme pick out furniture. Peter and Charlotte went to...well, you know."

"Sure, don't invite us," Emmett grumbled.

"The truck was full," Jasper said. "And you keep saying how damn busy you are, so...suck it up!"

"Well, we're here now. When are they due back?"

"I have no idea," Jasper said. "Carlisle said he'd call when they were heading back. I don't expect them until tomorrow at the earliest."

"Huh. Well, looks like we've come down off of DEFCON 1—something _else _nobody bothered to tell us." Emmett exchanged a look with Rose and then they both smirked.

"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jasper demanded of Rose.

"I didn't say anything," Rose said.

"You didn't have to."

Rose laughed. "I just think the level of panic has died down because you and Bella are too busy worried about Mstislav living in the backyard. Maybe getting a pet was a good idea after all."

"You moving out didn't hurt, either," Jasper snapped back.

"Hey now, kids," Emmett said, coming to stand between them. "Enough of that. We've got work to do. I brought a little flat screen and a dish we can run up one of those trees over there by the big cabin. Wanna help me with that, Jasper?"

"Sure."

"Come on, Bella," Rose said. "Let's get the TV set up inside. Good thing we can just DVR the show for them."

"I can't believe they're going to miss it," Emmett grumbled.

The DVR turned out to be unnecessary, as the rest of the family—and Peter and Charlotte—pulled up about the same time Emmett and Jasper finished installing the cables running from the dish in the tree into the cabin.

"I saw us gathered in here watching television, looking very, um, excited," Alice said.

"So she rounded everybody up and shoved us in the truck," Peter explained.

"We weren't able to pick up the mattresses. She dragged us out of the store so fast," Esme said. "But we did, at least, buy the couches and chairs. They were already loaded up when she got the vision."

Furniture was hauled in and quickly arranged. By that time the show had started. The segment showing Jasper feeding while Peter and Charlotte looked on rolled by, followed by information linking them with the theft—and return—of the Prius in Montana, as well as linking them with at least one known death in Montana, along with several missing persons cases over the past two years.

"Yeah, that's all you two," Jasper said, glaring once again at Peter and Charlotte.

"I knew we shouldn't have stayed around there so long. But I really liked the peace and quiet," Charlotte said.

"Oh!" Alice said, and they all turned to watch her fall into a vision. A few minutes later, her eyes refocused. "Oh, you're going to love this..." She looked at them all, laughter dancing in her eyes now. "Somebody does indeed recognize you, Jasper. _And_ she calls in."

"Who?" Jasper growled.

"Lauren Mallory."

Bella started laughing. She couldn't help it. "Lauren Mallory? Lauren _Mallory_?"

"

"You remember Lauren?" Jasper asked, surprised. Bella had remembered little of her human life after her change, and most of those memories had seemed to have faded during her stay in Volterra.

She stopped laughing, looking equally surprised. "You know what? I didn't, not until just now! That's...weird."

"Who's Lauren Mallory?" Peter asked, confused.

She was this girl who went to high school with us," Bella explained. "She...well...I guess I don't remember much after all. I just...it _is _funny, right? I mean, my first reaction was to think how funny that is..."

"Oh, it's funny all right," Rose said. "Lauren Mallory was leading the charge to get in Jasper's pants back at Forks High. I'd love to have listened in on _that_ phone call." She looked hopefully at Alice, who shook her head.

"

"All I see is one of the agents writing her name down on a piece of paper, then making notes during the call. Sorry."

"Oh, well. A girl can dream. Anyway, Jasper, looks like that's one woman scorned that is going to come back and bite us on the ass."

"I was a married man at the time," Jasper said stiffly. "That hardly makes her a woman scorned. Not to mention the fact that she wasn't a _woman_ at all at the time. She was only sixteen, for the love of God, when I turned her down."

"Jasper, you didn't just turn her down. You told her you'd rather masturbate with sand paper than ever...how did you put it again? Oh, yeah! 'Enjoy any horizontal refreshments with a hussy such as herself'. And she didn't know you were married. _You_ were supposedly only 17 at the time."

"I don't think that would have stopped her, would it?" Bella asked, clearly trying to retrieve more lost memories.

"No, probably not." Alice giggled. "Lauren Mallory was a force of nature."

"All right, enough," Jasper said, clearly embarrassed by the turn the conversation had taken. "What happens then?"

"I don't know," Alice said. "Too far out, too many possibilities. But even if I can't see it yet, I'm sure after Lauren's call the next step will be for them to go to Forks, and that just opens a whole mess of worms for us."

"Well, I hope all that happens pretty soon. The sooner the shit _really_ hits the fan, the sooner we can deal with it and move on," Jasper said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Things I don't know much about in this chapter: Fishing derbies in the Forks Area. But surely they have them, right? Also, I've never been interviewed by the FBI. Much like Quin, however, I am a big **_**X-Files**_ **fan.**

**Chapter 9**

An hour or so after the show ended, Alice had another vision.

"I see them going to Forks," Alice said. "But after that, nothing."

"So...they're interacting with the wolves?" Carlisle asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe... Maybe it's just another case of them not deciding anything yet?"

Carlisle considered this for a moment before speaking. "I'm not sure if I should call the Quileute and speak to them now or wait to see what comes of the agents' visit to Forks. Jasper?"

"I think you should wait," Jasper said firmly. "There's no need to go borrowing trouble. We're nowhere near them, and even if they consider the treaty 'broken' by what I've done, they aren't going to leave their own land to come looking for us. Worst case scenario, we can't go back to Forks in the future. I can live with that."

The rest nodded. "I agree," Emmett said. "Wait and see. Besides, Sam has your number. He'll call if he's got something to say. I mean, really, at this point do we even care _what_ they think?"

"Of course we do, Emmett. I don't want to see the treaty thrown away."

"I think _that_ ship has sailed," Rosalie said, looking pointedly at Jasper.

"Maybe. Maybe not. It didn't happen within the bounds of the treaty, and none of the people involved were from the treaty territory. While they may not be happy, I don't see them considering the treaty null and void. But you're right, Emmett. Worst case scenario will be us not being able to return to the Olympic Peninsula. A loss, to be sure, but one we can easily live with."

"Well," Rose said. "Now that that's decided, I think Emmett and I will be taking our leave. This opens a whole lot of other avenues for us to be watching. And deleting. So, we'll be back tomorrow afternoon, if that's all right with you?" she asked Carlisle.

He nodded. "That will be fine. You can call sooner if you need to. You know what to do, Emmett?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it. Don't worry, Carlisle."

"I'm not," the senior Cullen said, smiling. "I trust you."

Everybody filed out of the cabin and watched Rosalie and Emmett get into the truck and drive carefully back up the rutted lane towards the highway.

"Bella and I were talking about maybe going hunting" Alice said. Bella looked at her in surprise. Alice just stared at her, trying to convey some message. Bella didn't need to be a mind reader to guess what that message was.

"Oh, of course," Esme said, her gaze landing briefly on Bella before moving over to roam over the forest. "That sounds lovely. Do you think they'll be all right, Jasper?"

Jasper looked at Bella. He clearly knew something was up, that Bella had not made any such plans with Alice. He waited for a signal from her, and she sent it in the form of reassurance. He nodded slowly. "I think that would be fine...as long as they don't go too far out. Carlisle? That all right with you?"

"That sounds fine to me. I think we'll go, too, Esme. Let's meet back here in the morning. Peter, Charlotte, you sure you won't join us?"

"Nice try, Doc," Peter said. "But, no, we'll guard the fort while you're gone. Maybe try to win back some of that money Jasper owes me in poker."

Carlisle shrugged. "It's always worth asking," he said.

Christina sighed and lowered her head to the table, resting her forehead on her crossed arms.

"Everything points to vampires," Quin said, almost cheerfully.

"Everything points to a bunch of crazy people," Christina said, without looking up. "That Heriberto was running some sort of a sick cult, in addition to everything else he had going on, and whoever took him down used that information as part of the revenge package. We see it all the time, Quin."

"Are we even looking at the same evidence?" Quin asked in disbelief. "What about the housekeeper?"

"The housekeeper was scared of her own shadow, Quin, and obviously superstitious. It wouldn't have taken much for her employer to convince her that something supernatural like that was going on, not to mention the fact it would have been a useful threat to convince her to keep her mouth shut. And don't get me started on the three rescued kidnap victims they brought forward for us to interview. Their brains were so fried by whatever was used to keep them sedated for years that they didn't know their own names, let alone say anything to convince me that somebody was drinking people's blood. Come on, Quin, I'm not denying that we have a mess on our hands, but there's nothing supernatural about it."

"Whatever," he mumbled sullenly under his breath. "The Webb County sheriff is due here in 10 minutes," he added.

They'd already spoken with the Laredo police chief, who'd been very helpful. Unfortunately, he'd been unable to add any more information to what he'd already provided them. He had, however, been able to get them an interview with his cohort from across the border in Nuevo Laredo. At first they'd been hopeful. There was no reason for the man to talk to them at all at this point, but he'd been more than willing to come over and discuss the case with them, and share any additional information he might have that they didn't.

He'd been very friendly and helpful—on the surface—but when all was said and done, they didn't know much more than when they'd started. He had been the one that had set up the interviews with Heriberto's housemaid and the three kidnap victims that were still in the area. Quin had found the information gleaned from them fascinating; Chris had found it next to useless. She also thought the Nuevo Laredo police chief was hiding something, or at least keeping his own theories to himself.

The sheriff on their side of the border wasn't unable to add anything to what they already knew, either, except for something about a bear that had gone missing out of a locked cage at about the same time as the other "activity". Another dead end. Christina didn't know why the hell the man thought they'd be interested in a missing bear...or the possibility of a chupacabra in the neighbourhood, whatever the hell that was.

"Okay, what now?" Christina asked after the man had left.

"Run the pics we've got, see if anybody recognises them?" Quin said.

"We still don't have a way to tie them to our side of the border. They might be Mexico's most wanted, but they're nothing to us yet, not officially."

"I don't think they're very wanted at all in Mexico," Quin said. "I get more of a feeling that they're thankful to have one less cartel to worry about."

"Yeah, but now they have to deal with all the others moving in and fighting over the territory. I'm glad things haven't quite gotten to that point over here, at least not yet."

Quin's phone rang and he picked it up. Christina couldn't tell what was being said on the other end, based on his "uh huhs" and "yeahs", but whatever it was, it had him looking excited.

"Well?" she asked when he finally hung up.

"We may have a U.S. link!" he said, excited. "They've tracked the Prius. It was stolen from Butte, Montana, and then reappeared near the owner's house several weeks later, during which time it appeared on our footage down here."

"The plates matched?" Christina asked. That was odd. They were clearly Texas plates in the video footage.

"Nope. That's an interesting point, too. The plates were from a red Prius from northwest Texas. Somebody switched the plates."

"Huh. Simple, but clever."

"Well, it certainly slowed us down a little bit. So...is that enough?"

She hesitated. "I don't know... We'll have to check with the home office."

"Well, what about if I told you they found a body near Butte a few weeks after the car reappeared? A body that had been mauled by scavengers, but according to the coroner's report, had suspicious looking wounds on its neck?"

That got her attention. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

"Well, that changes everything," she said, a feeling of excitement building in her. She loved the hunt, she really did. All thoughts of beaches and boat drinks disappeared. "Let's go ahead and get the ball rolling."

"I've always wanted to visit Butte, Montana," Quin said.

"Suddenly, so do I."

Butte, Montana turned out to be more than a little helpful.

"He stole a Dodge Charger? _After_ he stole the Prius?" Christina asked, rewinding the video surveillance from the storage facility and watching it again. A blurry figure that vaguely resembled their Jack Bauer was seen hot-wiring a 1967 purple Dodge Charger before driving it away from the facility. He had another figure with him, who was even more blurry. Smaller, and possibly female. Possibly the third person from the video from Nuevo Laredo, but there weren't enough details to be sure.

"Hot-wired, and then took it for a joy ride to the airport, where he dumped it. There is no record of a Jack Bauer flying out of Butte that day, or any other day, either," said Quin, who had spent the morning at the airport. "And nothing from their security cameras. All the data banks were wiped during a lightning storm a couple weeks ago. "Maybe he just liked taking joy rides."

"Or maybe _he_ flew to Texas and his partner drove the Prius," Christina wondered.

"Well, we've got people checking on any mysterious deaths between here and Laredo during that time period, just in case," Quin said. "Now, on to this Larry Abrams. Mr. Abrams went on an installation call on the afternoon of May 2nd. He returned to the office late in the afternoon and was seen by several coworkers. He did not mention anything unusual occurring to him that day, and as far as his friends, family, and coworkers know, there was nothing 'odd' going on in his life. He disappeared from his house that night. His wife was working that night—and has a rock solid alibi—and he was never seen again. His body was found by rock hounds searching the quarry on the afternoon of May 5th. It had been badly mauled by animals, and the cause of death was undetermined, although he did have a broken neck. The coroner noted the odd bites on his neck, but there was no reason to believe anything other than an odd accident had been the cause of death. Do you want to exhume the corpse?"

"Not yet," Christina said. "For now, we've got the pictures and his report. We've got Jack on the local surveillance video, proving some sort of link to this area. That's enough to get those 'wanted' pics sent out and the call made to _America's Most Wanted_. Did anybody check out Larry Abram's last service call? Maybe there's some sort of connection there?"

"Actually, no, they didn't. Like I said, up until we called they had no reason to believe that the death was anything but an accident. An odd accident, but an accident nonetheless."

"Well, then, I guess you and I should take a little walk, huh? Got the address for that service call?"

Quin pulled out a slip of paper from his shirt pocket. "I do indeed." He handed it to Christina.

"This isn't an address," she said, looking at the paper for a moment before looking up at him. "It's directions."

He nodded. "Odd, isn't it? No address for the service, and it was prepaid for a year from an anonymous source, which we're attempting to track down right now. Ready for some hiking? It's not an easy stroll, according to the local boys."

She shrugged. "Sure. There's nothing to worry about, is there—other than grizzly bears and the possibility of a crazed killer waiting for us at the other end of the road?"

"A crazed killer who wanted the dish package with all upgrades," Quin said. "How bad can he be?"

The pair stood in front of the pile of ashes and bits of timber where a log cabin had once stood.

"Shall we add pyromaniac to the list of attributes for our person of interest?" Quin asked quietly.

"_If _they were tied to this property some way, then yes, I'd say our group certainly has an affinity for fire," Christina said. "But we have no way of knowing if they were here. Hell, we have no way of knowing when this fire took place. The locals have no record of it even occurring," she said. The first thing they'd done after hiking up to the cabin—having had to leave their car a half mile down the trail—was call the local authorities. Understaffed and underfunded, they'd shown very little interest in the burned cabin. They had no record of anybody living there, and as long as it was fully out and showed no signs of spreading, at this point they didn't care. They'd send somebody out later in the week to take a look around, they'd assured the agents. But unless they found some reason to consider it a crime site, that was as much as they could—or would—do.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it took place _after_Larry the Cable Guy's visit," Quin said.

"You can't just make assumptions like that, Quin, in order to make your theories fit," Christina said, exasperated.

"No, but I _can _identify a half-melted satellite dish in the wreckage," he said, not bothered by her accusations. He carefully picked his way through the bits of charred wood before kicking at the dish. Reaching down with a gloved hand, he picked up the remains of the dish, shook the ash off of it, and held it out to her. "Wanna take it back?"

"Let's see what else we come across. We'll send a team up here tomorrow to tag and bag everything."

Quin poked around a bit more, but Christina kept her distance from the wreckage. "Looks like maybe a television..."

"That would follow, wouldn't it?" she asked wryly. "Must be a generator here, too, unless they took it with them. And a generator means gasoline. Check to see if there's any footage of somebody buying gas in cans around that time period."

Quin nodded. "Will do. You want to stay here or go back to D.C.?"

"Let's stay here a couple more days, then go back to D.C. Any word on when they'll run that segment?"

"Two weeks from Wednesday. Plenty of time for us to chase down any other leads we might come across here," he said.

"All right. A few days here, till we're sure we've found all we can, then back to D.C. to wait. I'd like to look into Heriberto's business ties, see who his enemies were, that sort of thing. See if we can figure out who might be behind all this, who's calling the shots."

"It could just be a personal vendetta," Quin said. "The man had several hundred people kidnapped. You can't tell me that didn't piss somebody off, somewhere."

"Maybe. But this sort of thing is usually indicative of something bigger, some sort of power play on a major scale. And if that's the case, I want to make sure it's not somebody on _our_ side of the border that's making that play. These two came from Montana and appeared to have returned here when they were done. Butte, Montana doesn't really strike me as a hot spot for criminal activity, let alone a home base for an up and coming crime syndicate. I just wish I knew why they were here."

The Washington, D.C., summer was shaping up to be hotter and more humid than normal, and Christina was dying. She didn't usually mind the heat, especially if it was accompanied by an offshore breeze, but of course, in D.C., it wasn't like that. And the humidity was killing her. Tempers were short, and hers was no exception.

She was sure if anybody bothered asking Quin, he'd tell them that her temper was always short.

They'd made precious little progress in their attempts to find out anything more about their mysterious Jack Bauer and his two friends. In fact, they were now in a holding pattern, waiting for a miracle—more specifically, waiting for somebody to call in after that damn show aired.

Christina had her doubts about the show being able to help, although it had been immensely helpful on cases in the past. After all, the YouTube video of the attacks had had several million hits. Or at least, that was the estimated total. Right now it was only at about 1,500. For some reason, the video kept disappearing off the website, along with several other links and sites it was on. Obviously _somebody_ didn't want it out there in cyberspace. At any rate, she couldn't imagine that somebody out there _hadn't _seen it, recognized the faces, and contacted somebody about it. After all, the figures, blurry as they were, appeared to fall clearly in the demographic that was known for its heavy use of the social media available.

But no, they'd had no leads. They were sitting there, after two weeks of fruitless searching, waiting for a phone call from a television show.

Much to Christina's surprise, the phone call actually came. Within 15 minutes of the segment airing, they received a call from the show with a name and phone number to contact. Quin wanted to be the one to make contact, but Christina refused to let him. She in no way wanted him "contaminating" the informant with any mention of aliens or other oddities.

Christina spoke on the phone for almost 20 minutes to a woman from Seattle, Washington. She took notes the whole time, despite the fact that the conversation was being recorded. She also spent a lot of time rolling her eyes. After wrapping up the interview and reassuring the caller that they did not, in fact, need to meet with her in person, Christina finally hung up the phone.

"Well?" Quin asked.

"Well...that was a classic revenge call. Talk about painful. She had all the signs of being a woman scorned. Lucky for us, she also gave us some valid information. Assuming she's telling the truth, which will be easily verified. Our Jack Bauer is apparently actually one Jasper Hale, and he apparently graduated from Forks High School in Forks, Washington, in 2005."

"Where the hell is Forks, Washington? I've never heard of it."

"Me either. But I'd like to point out that if this checks out, your vampire theory has flown out the window and into the rising sun. Vampires don't go to high school, last time I checked."

"It would make the perfect cover, though," he argued.

"It would be a little difficult to do, considering that most schools are operating during the daytime, as opposed to the middle of the night."

"Maybe he isn't a vampire. But I'd bet money he's _something_ other than human," he said, sounding stubborn.

"Maybe you're right—he's NOT a vampire," Christina said, rolling her eyes. "But he's not an alien, either. Let's go, Mulder. I'm booking us on an early flight to Washington. At least we'll be out of this damn heat and humidity."

Out of the heat, maybe, Christina reflected 20 hours later as they were driving through the dripping greenness that was the Olympic Peninsula, but definitely not out of the humidity.

"It _is_ mostly temperate rain forest," Quin pointed out when she complained about the weather. "And look at those woods! All sorts of things could be hiding in them and we'd never know about it."

"Yeah. Like gang bosses gone to ground, smuggling headquarters..."

"Little green men," he said cheerfully. "Bigfoot. E.T. ..."

"Ted Kaczynski wannabes..."

Quin rolled his eyes.

"All right. To each his own. Look, it's only 30 miles to Forks," she said, reading a passing sign. "Did you remember to have Margaret make our reservations?"

"Yep. Four nights at the Forks Motel."

"Sounds lovely. What time is our appointment with the local law enforcement?"

"We meet with a Mr. Charles Swan, chief of police, at 4PM."

"Any information on him?"

"Not much. He's been on the force since soon after graduating high school, and he's been police chief going on 13 years now. He was out on patrol when I called yesterday, but the dispatcher set up the appointment for us."

"Good. We'll go there first. We should just about make it by 4."

They parked in front of the municipal building that housed the police, jail, city hall, and a variety of other city service offices. The lot was almost empty, and when they entered the building most of the offices appeared to be dark and locked.

"Early Off on Fridays?" Quin asked.

Christina shrugged. "Budget cuts, probably."

"Fishing derby down at the rez," a woman's voice came from behind them. They turned to see a woman walking down the hall towards them. Her straight dark hair and bronze colored skin indicated Native American connections. "Almost everybody's gone. You must be here to see Charlie. He wasn't real happy that you weren't willing to wait until Monday for this."

"Err...yes, I'm Agent Christina Vlodak and this is Agent Quincy Anderson," Christina said.

"Sue Clearwater-Swan. Right through here," she said, opening a glass door with "Police" painted in large black letters across the glass. "If you could make it fast, he'd probably be a lot more happy to help," she whispered, leaning in to Christina as she walked past them.

"We'll keep that in mind," Christina said. She turned to Quin and mouthed the words "Fishing Derby?" before rolling her eyes.

"Charlie!" Sue called out. "You've got company!"

"Thanks, Sue," a man said, walking out of a door on the other side of the main room, which was almost as empty as the rest of the building. A single officer—also clearly Native American, and one of the largest men Christina had ever seen—occupied one of the desks. Other than that, they were alone.

"I'll wait out here for you," the woman said, giving him a quick hug, which appeared to embarrass him a bit, before crossing the room to sit by the desk of the other man.

"Charlie Swan," he said, extending his hand to Christina.

"Agent Christina Vlodak," Christina said, shaking his hand firmly. "And this is my partner Agent Quincy Anderson." The two men shook hands.

"We really appreciate you agreeing to meet with us this afternoon," Christina said.

"Yeah, well, it isn't often that we get the feds coming to visit us here," he said, indicating the doorway he'd just come from. "Wanna come in and have a seat?"

"Thank you," Christina said, walking ahead of him into what appeared to be his office. "I promise you, we'll try to keep this initial visit as brief as possible."

"Initial visit?" Charlie said, sounding surprised. "Jenny didn't say anything about this being a multi-visit type of thing."

"We didn't give your dispatcher any details, I'm afraid," Christina said, not sounding apologetic at all. "But it's possible that we may be in the area for a few days."

"All right...well, what can I do for you?" Charlie asked, seating himself behind his desk and gesturing to the other two chairs for them.

Christina and Quin sat down. "I don't suppose you watch _America's Most Wanted_, do you?" she asked.

"Can't say as I do," Charlie said with a half-smile. "I'm more of an ESPN type of guy. I really don't like for my work and my entertainment to intersect, if you know what I mean."

"I can fully appreciate that, Chief Swan."

"Please, call me Charlie," he said.

"Charlie. All right, well, we'd like you to watch this video clip, if you would," Chris said. Quin pulled a pad out of his bag and slid it across the desk towards Charlie. He hit the play button, then sat back down again. While Quin was setting that up, Christina quickly looked around the room. The wall was decorated with a few certificates, some fishing prints, and a few mounted fish. The desk was almost devoid of any personal touches, aside from a picture of Charlie with the woman—Sue—that they'd met outside, in what appeared to possibly be a wedding photo and another photo showing a young dark haired woman wearing a white dress and a young man with reddish hair in a tuxedo. That one was definitely a wedding shot.

The video started to play, and Christina turned her attention back to watch Charlie, observing his reactions to what he was seeing. There were none.

"Well, that's some odd goings-on," he said when the video was done.

"To say the least," Christina said. "We have a possible ID on one of the men in the video, and we have reason to believe that he is from Forks. We were hoping you could positively identify him for us."

"Be glad to try," Charlie said, his voice carefully neutral. Christina had the distinct impression that they were now dealing with Chief Swan, as opposed to Charlie Swan.

Christina nodded at Quin, who brought out the close-up stills they had of the three people from the video.

Charlie studied them all carefully. He put two of them down but held on to the third. "These two, never seen 'em before. But this one, yeah, this one I know. Dr. Cullen's boy. Jasper Hale."

"You're positive about that?" Christina asked, hope rising in her. Finally, maybe, they were going to make some progress.

"As positive as I am about anything, Agent Vlodak," Charlie said, sounding sad for some reason. "My daughter Bella married his foster brother."

Christina and Quin sat in stunned silence. Whatever they might have been expecting the man across the desk from them to say, this was not it. In fact, Christina thought, they never would have even remotely considered something like this.

Christina also thought that Quin must be devastated to see his alien and/or vampire theories going up in smoke. Surely this would be the final nail in _that _coffin.

"Does that mean you have a way for us to contact this Jasper Hale?" Quin asked, all business now.

Charlie was shaking his head slowly. "I'm afraid not..."

"But you're family," Quin said.

Christina found herself letting Quin take over the interview, her eyes sliding to the wedding photo in its frame on the desk.

Charlie was still shaking his head. He picked up the photo and stared at it for a moment before replacing it on the desk, face down. "I'm sorry. My daughter and her husband were killed in a car wreck a few weeks after the wedding. His parents moved back to Alaska soon after, and aside from exchanging cards at Christmas with Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, I haven't really stayed in contact with them. I don't know what became of the older children at all."

"But then, you can at least put us in contact with them..."

"Yeah, I can do that. It's a post office box, you understand. I'm thinking they probably live pretty far out. Real nature lovers, that family."

"No phone number?" Christina asked, re-entering the conversation.

"No," Charlie said. "I had it at one time. They moved, though, like I said, and I don't think I ever got their new number. Like I said, we didn't have much contact with each other after the accident."

"Of course," Christina murmured. "I understand." Actually, she thought it was odd. In this day and age, they were exchanging Christmas cards but had no other forms of contact? Their kids had been married, for God's sake. "Well, what can you tell us about Jasper Hale from when they lived here in town?" she asked.

Charlie sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers and considering her question for a moment. "I'll tell you this—I never had a spot of trouble, not with any of those kids. Aside from the youngest stealing my daughter away. The family moved here when they were in high school. A household of five teenage kids, all of 'em adopted. Well, that spells trouble loud and clear to someone in my position, especially with how young Dr. Cullen and his wife were. But I never heard a peep from any of 'em, and nobody in this town had any reason to complain, either." Charlie then launched into a brief history of the Cullen family's short stay in Forks, Washington. Christina noted that the story didn't hold too many in-depth details, but then, Charlie did reiterate—frequently—how the family liked to keep to themselves. His story wrapped up with his daughter's wedding to their youngest son, the subsequent death of his daughter and her new husband within days of their return from their honeymoon, just a week before they were due to start college at the University of Alaska, and finally the parents' return to Alaska.

It was all very informative...but not. Christina sighed. Well, they would definitely be spending the weekend poking around town and talking to other people, and then she supposed they'd be heading up to Alaska to track down the post office box and its owners. That, at least, was a firm lead.

"Well, we'll be checking around town for a few days, talking to people and such, just so you know," Quin said, standing up. "Thank you for taking the time to see us."

Christina and Charlie stood as well. "No problem, no problem," Charlie said. "Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Here's my card, though." He pulled a business card out of a holder on his desk. "Feel free to call me if you need anything else while you're here. You might check over at the hospital, where Dr. Cullen worked. They might have more contact information than I do. And over at the school... They're closed for the summer, of course, but somebody is usually around in the office in the mornings, come Monday..." He shook his head and spoke again. "I just really find it hard to believe that that is Jasper Hale in that video. Are you sure that it wasn't doctored up or something? I know that that's done all the time. I just can't believe he would do something like that."

"We're sure the footage has not been tampered with. And according to some of the surviving witnesses, they believed that what you saw in the video was indeed real and not staged in some manner. Of course, this all took place in Mexico. We have no way of investigating the scene of the crime, not that there is anything left to investigate, as it was burned to the ground soon after the events that you saw took place."

"Well, I don't know... I suppose if you say it's real, it might well be. But I just can't imagine him doing something like that."

"We'll keep that in mind, sir," Christina said politely, moving towards the door. "We'll be sure to keep in touch while we're here and let you know if we need anything else."

Charlie walked them to the front door and watched them as they left the building and drove out of the parking lot. He then turned to the two people who had been watching silently from the back of the main room.

"Well," he said, "that was interesting."

"That's putting it mildly," the large man said. "What do you make of it?"

"I don't know, Embry," Charlie said, shaking his head, "but I don't like it. Something's not right. You saw the video?"

"Yep. Googled it as soon as you started talking about it. Didn't take me more than a minute to figure out what they were talking about and find it online."

"Huh," Charlie grunted.

"I'm going to have to tell Sam about this," Embry said.

"I know, I know. I wouldn't ask you to keep it from him. But I think I better make a phone call."

Embry nodded. "I think you better. Gonna do it now?"

"No time like the present. Derby plans are shot to hell now, anyway," Charlie said. He walked back to his office and over to a safe, quickly opening it and removing a cell phone. He powered it up and hit a few buttons, raising the phone to his ear. It rang a few times before being picked up.

"Hello, Carlisle? It's Charlie. We've got a situation here in Forks..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Good news for Charlie! According to Karebear1965 , a one-time resident of the area, there ARE fishing derbies in Forks. So...he can try again, and maybe the FBI won't ruin it for him next time!  
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**Things I know nothing about in this chapter: The legality of sports betting in various states and territories.**

**Chapter 10**

"So...what do you want, Alice?" Bella asked.

"I wanted to go hunting with my sister," Alice said. "We haven't spent much time together since you got back. I thought it would be nice."

"Oh," Bella said, slightly taken aback. "Really?" Several ideas had been flitting through Bella's mind, but this wasn't one of them. She would have been less surprised to hear Alice announce that she wanted Jasper back.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Yes, really. Is that so hard to believe?" She sounded hurt.

"Uh...no?"

"You don't sound so sure."

"Well...I'm just not sure about all this family stuff, I guess."

Alice's face softened and she smiled. "Yeah, that's true. We can go back if you're really that uncomfortable being out here, just you and me, but we went hunting in Romania, remember? And that went all right."

"Yeah, it did," Bella said.

They ran in silence for a while before Alice spoke again. "Is there anything in particular you're craving?"

"Well...I'm not really all that thirsty. Maybe something small? Jasper and I usually grab something big, so I don't have much experience with the smaller game..." Bella trailed off, suddenly realizing who she was speaking to. "I'm sorry," she said lamely.

"Bella, you've got to get beyond this. I don't mind, really. You can say his name all you want. You can even _talk _to me about him, if you want. Heaven knows you won't find a more sympathetic or understanding ear in this family when it comes to one Jasper Whitlock."

"Okay..." Bella said, hesitantly.

"So, something small, eh?" Alice came to a stop and inhaled deeply. "How about fox? Ever had fox?"

"Yes..."

"Marten? They're _really_ tiny, but they're predators. They have a very sharp flavor, and they're fun to catch—almost impossible, even for us."

"I've never had marten. Let's try that."

"Great! I think we'll find some over there, where it starts to get a little hilly and rocky." Alice pointed east of their current position. "And I think it will still fall under Jasper's 'Don't Go Too Far' restriction," she added with a roll of her eyes.

Bella giggled, and they took off running again.

A couple miles later, Alice squeeled. "Oh, my gosh!" she said, suddenly coming to a stop as a vision gripped her.

"What? What do you see, Alice?" Bella asked her.

"We need to get back to the cabin," Alice said, not answering her question. "We'll have to hunt later. Come on!"

She took off through the woods, Bella hot on her heels. Their return trip was much quicker than the outbound one had been, and within minutes they were leaping across the river and approaching the big cabin.

"Carlisle!" Alice cried out as they ran through the front door and found Carlisle and Esme working on the interior, having evidently made quick work of their own hunting trip. "The bag with the phones...quick!" She glanced at the clock on the wall. Peter, Charlotte, and Jasper appeared at the back door. Clocks were always one of the first things the Cullens installed, to aid with Alice's visions.

"What's going on?" Jasper asked Bella. "What did she see?"

Bella shrugged. "No idea. She didn't tell me."

Carlisle ran into the still unfurnished bedroom and pulled back the rug that was on the floor. He pulled back a couple of floorboards to reveal a large floor safe.

"Hurry! The, uh, blue Samsung!"

He froze before turning to look at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Get it!"

Carlisle pulled a small traveling case out of the safe and dug through it before pulling out a small blue flip phone. He opened it and powered it up, then looked at Alice. "I'm surprised you had any warning at all."

She shrugged. "Me, too, but I didn't actually see the call being made, I just saw you answering it."

They moved back into the main room and sat down, all eyes on Carlisle.

Alice glanced at the clock on the wall. "And it's going to ring in three...two...one—"

_Hungry Like the Wolf _came from the phone.

"Really, Alice?" Jasper asked.

"There's just not a lot of wolf songs out there," she said defensively.

"I think _Who Let the Dogs Out_ would have been a better choice."

Bella giggled, catching on to what they were talking about. "Or maybe _Werewolves of London_."

"Shhh!" Esme said as Carlisle hit the accept button.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hello, Carlisle? It's Charlie. We've got a situation here in Forks..."

"Charlie! This is a...surprise."

"That's an understatement," Jasper whispered, looking at Bella and carefully gauging her reaction.

Shock would be a good way to describe it. Jasper tensed and signaled to Peter to get ready. They'd have to get Bella out of the room if there was any sign of her reacting badly. As far as Charlie was concerned, as well as the rest of the world, Bella was dead. Now was not the time to cast doubt on _that_ fact.

"I imagine it is," Charlie said. "And before you ask, Sam gave me the phone to keep. I guess you could call me a liaison of sorts. Seemed a good role, under the circumstances, with a foot in both camps and all that."

"Uh..." Carlisle said, his emotions moving from surprise to shock. Jasper briefly wondered if he might have to slap him, but Carlisle quickly recovered. "Well, Charlie, what can I help you with today?"

The vampires in the room gathered closer to Carlisle, not that they needed to in order to hear what was being said. The silence in the room grew even deeper, if that was possible.

"I just got out of a very interesting conversation with two federal agents, Carlisle. Do you have any knowledge of where your boy Jasper is at this minute?"

Carlisle's eyes shifted to Jasper. "No," he said. "I don't. Why, is there a problem?"

Charlie sighed. "You might say that. Look, Carlisle, I'm not going to lie to you. When Bella married your son, I was not very happy about it. I was smart enough to realize I couldn't stop it. And I was smart enough to realize that she was happy in her decision. But I was under the distinct impression that...things...were a certain way. And now I've just watched a video telling me something completely different. I entrusted Bella to you and your family, and again, while I realize I have no real control over the situation, I _did_ have certain expectations that you would take care of her in a certain way. To see that things might just be otherwise is very upsetting to a father. I'm sure you can understand that."

Shock was now the predominant emotion in the room. Bella had started to quiver, and Jasper moved to hold her—both for comfort and control.

"I'm not quite sure what you're implying, Charlie. Bella and Edward died three years ago. It sounds like you might be having trouble coping... Perhaps counseling—"

"Cut the bullshit, Carlisle. You and I both know there was no car wreck. I'm not going to spell it out, but surely you can't think I'm that stupid? Not growing up where I did, knowing who I do, and doing what I do for a living. Your boy Jasper has done something he shouldn't and gotten himself on record as doing it. A lot of people aren't going to be happy about it, but the ones you really need to worry about right now are perfectly human. The feds are looking for him, and it's only a matter of time before they trace him to you—and on some level I'm sure that can make your life difficult. I don't know where you are right now, and I don't want to know. But I felt it was my job as a father to give you a heads up so you can do what you need to do to protect my daughter."

Carlisle made eye contact with Jasper, who gave a slight nod. He then looked at the rest of the family, who also nodded, except for Bella, who just looked confused and upset. "It'll be all right, sweetheart," Jasper whispered to her, pulling her closer.

"Charlie...you need to know...there's been some changes in the last few years."

"Changes?" Charlie said, sounding suspicious now. "What sort of changes? The sort of changes that are on that footage? Are you telling me that's how things are now?"

"NO!" Carlisle hastened to try to reassure him. "No, it's not. Not even for Jasper. I guess you need to know, and you can pass this on to Sam, but our family came under attack a few years ago, shortly after we left Forks."

"Around the time of the car accident?" Charlie said.

"Yes. About three months after the car accident. Edward was killed, and Bella was...well, Bella was stolen from us."

They could all hear Charlie's quick intake of breath. "Is she all right?" he choked out.

"Yes... She managed to escape, and she is fine. She's safe now, back with us. We were able to get her back."

"But with Edward gone," Charlie said slowly, "how does that work? I mean, I know for some people, that would be...really bad. How is she? Is she really all right? How can she be all right, after losing her...husband?"

"You are correct in that line of thought, Charlie. Normally that would be a very bad thing for us. And she was _not_ 'all right' for a while. But these attacks on us, they took more than one form, and one of the other attacks caused my son Jasper and daughter Alice's bond to be...broken."

They could all hear a gasp in the background on Charlie's end. "Wolf," Jasper mouthed, and Carlisle nodded.

"That's...bad...isn't it?" Charlie said.

"Again, normally it would be, but the person that did this...it caused no other trauma to them. The bond was just gone. These people were trying to divide us as a family, in order to destroy us, and this was one of the methods they thought would be effective. Jasper was then able to go find Bella and bring her home to us."

"And the threat? Are you still under threat of attack?" Charlie asked, concern for Bella clear in his voice.

"That threat has been eliminated," Carlisle said, his voice hard.

"You say 'that threat'. Have there been others? Is my daughter all right, Carlisle? That's all I want to know."

"Bella is fine. You should know that Bella and Jasper have formed a bond, Charlie. They ran into some trouble last spring while dealing with another threat against us, which has also been cleared up, and that was when the incident with Jasper occurred. Bella had been taken, and he was under some duress because of it."

"Sounds like a lot of trouble surrounding you all. Is that normal? There was never any trouble while you were in Forks."

The vampires all exchanged glances and smiled. Charlie was obviously not as observant as he thought he was.

"No, not really. Not normally," Carlisle assured him. "Normally our lives are quite boring, to be honest."

"And...things...your family's lifestyle hasn't changed?"

"No, Charlie. I assure you that what you saw was not normal for our family. Again, there were extenuating circumstances that we all very much regret, and any other events that might be attributed to Jasper are _not_ his...um, slips."

"Well," Charlie sighed. "Bella always did seem to be a danger magnet."

Alice giggled. "That is so true!"

Bella was looking quite upset, watching the phone almost as if it were a snake that was going to bite her. Jasper could tell she was upset and confused.

Charlie cleared his throat. "I...can I...if she's there, would it be possible for me to talk to her?"

Carlisle looked at Bella, then to Jasper. Bella was becoming more agitated, and Jasper shook his head slightly.

"Come on, Bella. Let's step outside for a minute, all right?" Jasper whispered.

She hesitated for a moment, staring at the phone longingly, then nodded and let him lead her from the room.

Carlisle followed them to the door and watched them disappear into the trees before speaking again. "She is here, Charlie, but I don't think speaking to her would be a good idea right now. There was a lot of memory loss...after the car accident...and I'm afraid she doesn't really remember you at this point."

"Oh." Charlie sounded defeated. "Is that normal?"

"It varies. I'm afraid that the events that occurred soon after the accident also appeared to have further affected her memories. Occasionally she seems to recover glimpses of before. Now that we have both she and Jasper safely home, it may be possible that more of them might re-surface. It that should happen, if she does begin to remember you, I think it would be very possible for you to speak with her. Since you have our number, so to speak."

"That would be...wonderful," Charlie said. It sounded like he might be crying. Carlisle and Esme exchanged concerned glances. "So," he finally said, after clearing his throat, "how do you want me to handle the situation down here? I have no doubt that they'll be back here after snooping around town. I won't be telling them much, but it's impossible to hide the fact that we are—or were, I guess, as far as they know—family. I'm sure some folks in town will have plenty to say, whether it's true or not. They already didn't buy the fact that we've had no contact with each other."

Carlisle looked at Alice. "Do you see anything?" he whispered.

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Have them try the old cell phone number from Forks. It'll go to voicemail. You will say that you check it regularly still, just in case, so you'll call them back later in the evening, after they call you and leave a message."

Carlisle repeated her words to Charlie.

"You can still be reached at your old number? But I've tried calling—" He cut himself off, obviously not meaning to have revealed that.

"We usually break all of our former ties when we move. I'm sure you can see why that would be necessary, especially in this particular case," Carlisle said gently. "You can tell them it was my private number for family only, as opposed to the one they'll no doubt get from the hospital, which won't work."

"Yeah, I can see why that would be necessary. All right, that will probably work just fine. I can say I found it in the drawer or something. I can probably avoid them till Monday, and...Sam may want to speak to you, also."

"That's fine. He can use this number, too. I don't want these conversations on a public line."

"I imagine you don't," Charlie said. "Well...it's been odd talking to you, Carlisle. I'll be in touch."

"Hmm...yes, Charlie. Same to you."

Carlisle hung up the phone. Everyone stared at each other for a moment.

"Well, that turned out to be interesting," Carlisle finally said, breaking the silence.

"Do you know who that was, Bella?" Jasper asked. He'd led her down to the river, where they were now sitting on a large flat-topped boulder. He and Emmett had moved it from somewhere back in the woods, putting it down in the middle of the water with the belief that it would make a good place for sunning. She'd been agitated for a few minutes but had finally settled down.

"Charlie."

Jasper resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She obviously got that much from the conversation.

"Do you know who that is?"

She hesitated, then looked at him. "My...dad? When I was human? Before..."

Jasper nodded. "That's right. He's your human father."

She didn't say anything else. She just lay back on the rock and closed her eyes instead. Jasper felt her pensiveness, though.

"How does that make you feel?" he finally asked.

She opened one eye and smirked at him. "What? Don't you know?"

"I'm trying to talk, here, Bella. Does this bother you at all, knowing that we have contact with him?"

"Does it matter? It's not like I can go back and see him now that I'm one of you."

Jasper hesitated. "Well..." he finally said, "normally that would be true. But apparently Charlie is very much aware of what we are, and that could change things."

"Oh. Well...I still don't remember him much. More just the fact that he was my father rather than any actual memories. Maybe...maybe I should just talk to him on the phone? He seemed really worried about me. Maybe that would make him feel better?"

Jasper nodded. "It probably would. I'll talk to Carlisle and see what he thinks. I can't make any promises, but I'll ask."

"Thank you, Jasper. If he says no, that's okay, too."

"All right. I was going to suggest hunting, since I can tell you and Alice did more talking than hunting, but I think we better hang around. I'm pretty sure Carlisle is going to call a family meeting after that bombshell."

Carlisle did indeed call a meeting. Peter and Charlotte came down to the river about 30 minutes later to tell them that Emmett and Rosalie would be arriving at any moment and that they were all gathering at the main cabin. When they got back, they discovered Mstislav waiting in the yard. Bella paused, and Jasper tightened his arm around her. After a moment, though, she gave the werewolf a brief nod before continuing past him into the house. Peter and Charlotte followed them into the house, Peter letting out a short growl as he passed.

Emmett and Rosalie pulled up soon after. "Any reason the dog is loose in the front yard?" Rose asked. "I thought you were going to keep him kenneled." She stared at Jasper.

"Mstislav is here at my request," Carlisle said firmly. "By bringing him home with us, we have accepted responsibility for him."

"Jesus, Carlisle, you make it sound like we got a pet."

"We did," Emmett said.

"He's not an animal," Esme said. "So everyone needs to stop talking about him like he is one."

"No, he's just one of the few things on this planet that we need to actually worry about pulling us apart. Is this why you've called the meeting, Carlisle? To tell us you've finally decided to let him into the house?" Rose glared at her father.

"I called the meeting because we've had an unusual development out of Forks, and we all need to be aware of it. Charlie called, using the phone we left for Sam. He filled us in on the FBI's arrival in Forks. He also let us know that he is more than a little aware of our exact nature..." Rose gasped, but Carlisle continued talking. "It was decided that he will give them a number for us so they can contact me and Esme. We will, of course, be very cooperative. Hopefully they won't want to come up here. If there is any way to prevent them from doing so, I will do it, but it is possible that they will be flying up here. If they do, Esme and I will travel into Anchorage or Fairbanks to meet with them. I do not want them too close to here, if we can avoid it."

"You know...it might actually be a good idea to go ahead and see if you _can _get them to come up here," Emmett said thoughtfully.

Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"No, seriously. Think about it, Rose..." He looked at his mate. "We've been running into a lot of walls that I can't seem to get through, at least not with the equipment we've currently got, but if Rose and I could get our hands on their laptops or something, it could open all sorts of doors for us, both now and in the future. I mean, we could always go to Anchorage and break into the FBI office there. Rose and I discussed that, actually. But it poses all sorts of security problems. If _they_ come to _us_, that might be all the help we need."

Rose nodded. "He's right, Carlisle. We'd only need a little bit of time with their equipment. No more than an hour or so, I'd think."

"That's a good point, Emmett, Rose," Carlisle said. "All right, why don't you plan on going with us. It will actually serve two purposes, since you are both known to be with us here in Alaska, anyway. It wouldn't be unusual for you to come into town with us."

"You'll not be meeting with them alone," Jasper protested.

"I won't _be_ alone, Jasper. There will be four of us. Jasper, you are the _last_ person that needs to be anywhere near these federal agents. I am not overly concerned with having to speak to them, and you shouldn't be, either. However, I do have another, much larger concern that has come up."

"And that is?" Emmett asked.

"Emmett, when I talked to you a few days ago, you told me that you had confirmed the identities of the two agents assigned to this case. The names meant nothing to me at the time, but that has since changed. I have spent a little bit of time lately speaking with our house guest, and in that time I have learned a lot of interesting facts. But what he told me yesterday is perhaps the one thing that affects us the most."

They all stared at him, waiting for him to go on. Mstislav had appeared in the doorway, but other than glancing his way, none of the vampires made a move in his direction.

"Jasper, you said that he felt the search for his mate would not be a difficult thing, as he had the woman's name to go on. You later made a joke to the effect of 'as long it's not Jane Smith, it shouldn't be too hard'. But _none_ of you bothered to interact further with him, not even to ask him the woman's name—something I would have thought would have been a vital piece of information for us to have. Instead, you've been avoiding him like he has the plague."

Jasper groaned. "Don't tell me..."

"Oh, yes."

"HOLY SHIT!" Peter yelled out. "The werewolf is in love with the FBI agent that wants Jasper's and my head on a platter?"

"Indeed," Mstislav said, speaking for the first time.

"Well, nothing really too surprising here," Christina said.

"What do you mean?" Quin asked. "Almost everybody in town told us the same thing. Beautiful family...they loved the doctor...the wife was friendly enough but the children were creepy...never anything but nice and polite, but something seemed 'off'...never mingled...never interacted at all, until the youngest boy started hanging around the Swan girl..."

"Stuck up, isolated, mysterious, aloof..." Christina continued for him.

"Exactly! I'd say it's _very _suspicious."

"I grew up in a small town, Quin. 'Pretty typical' is what it is. The family moved here, they had money, they had good looks, and they were strangers. It is no surprise to me that nobody had anything glowing to say...although if you notice, they had nothing very bad to say, either. Just pettiness. Like the woman that called in the tip. She was just angry because some boy had turned her down back when they were in high school."

"Well...it seemed to be the general consensus that the middle son made everyone nervous, more so than the rest of them did."

"Yes, that didn't escape my notice. I wish we had some way to contact that Dr. Cullen. The number that the hospital had for him has been disconnected for over a year now." Christina sighed. "Well, first thing Monday we'll have the team start doing background checks on all of them." Federal budget cuts had made it a lot harder to get things done over the weekends and holidays in all but the most urgent of cases, which theirs was not. Yet.

"So...Sunday supper at The Lodge?"

"Yay..." Christina said, trying to stir up some excitement for another meal that included grease in some form or another.

Going to The Lodge for their meal, though, turned out to be a good decision. Not only was grilled trout on the Daily Special board out front—caught fresh that day—but Chief Swan was sitting at a table with the same dark haired woman they'd met at the police station on Friday. When he saw them come in, he excused himself from his dinner companion and crossed the dining room to the table they were being seated at.

"Hey, I looked around at home and found this." He handed them a note card with a phone number written on it. "It was Dr. Cullen's personal number when they lived here. I haven't tried it to see if it's still working... Didn't know what I'd say to him after all this time. But anyway, you're welcome to have it. Give it a try."

"Uh, thanks, Charlie," Quin said, taking the card. "We'll give him a call. Thank you very much. If this works, it could save us a lot of time."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. So...I'll be around. Let me know if I can do anything else for you."

"We will. And thank you again."

They sat down and watched him walk away, waiting until he'd taken his seat again before speaking.

"Well, that was convenient," Christina murmured.

"Very," Quin said, stealing a glance across the room, only to find the Police Chief staring back at them. "Did you notice that he's been the only one we've talked to that's given us nothing but a glowing report on the Cullens?"

"I had indeed noticed that."

"Weird."

"Yes. It does seem a bit odd. Usually the chief of police is the most suspicious member of the entire community."

"Well, he has ties with the family, so maybe it's not so odd after all."

"True, true... Well, shall we eat and then go give this number a try?"

"You seriously want to eat first?" Quin looked at her.

"I am starving, Quin, starving for something not cooked in grease. My stomach may never forgive me this weekend. That number is not going anywhere in the next hour."

"All right, all right, we eat."

Christina stared at the number on the card in front of her. She'd been wrong about the fish. Her stomach was roiling and, for some reason, she thought dialing that number was going to change her entire life. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the idea, but it wouldn't go away.

Must be food poisoning. Great. Just a little souvenir to take back with her from Forks, Washington.

This was stupid. She was tracking down a lead on a case, not trying to get up the courage to call a boy, like she was in high school or something. And Quin was starting to look at her funny.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Bad fish," she said.

"Ah...okay."

She gritted her teeth and punched in the numbers. It rang five times, then went to voice mail. A smooth male voice told her she'd reached the number of Carlisle Cullen and that he was unable to answer his phone at the moment. The voice invited her to leave a message, which she did, leaving her name and number, and identifying herself as a federal agent.

"Sounds sexy," Quin observed.

"Probably computer generated," Christina said sourly.

"Well, that message ought to make the good doctor happy, if and when he gets it."

"We'll give him till tomorrow morning to call back, and if he doesn't we'll go ahead as planned with the background checks. Actually, we'll go ahead with the checks either way."

"Sounds good to me. I think I'm gonna go to my room. The Redskins are playing tonight, and I've got money riding on it in the pool down in Linguistics."

"Betting on professional sports is illegal in D.C."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gonna turn me in?"

"Probably not."

"Okay, well, I'll leave you to it. Bang on the wall if he calls back and I'll come right over," Quin said, making his way to the door.

Christina watched him leave, then proceeded to pace around her room. She booted up her laptop and briefly ran searches on all the members of the Cullen family on the public net, but she came up with a big fat zero, which seemed strange to her. Then again, that wasn't her area of expertise, despite the fact that she was an FBI agent.

After abandoning the laptop, she lay on the bed and flipped through the television channels, quickly failing to find anything that interested her. She tried staring at the phone for a while, hoping it would ring through sheer force of her will. No luck.

Finally, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, turning off the light. Sleep came quickly, and it would have surprised her how quickly it arrived. Dreams arrived almost as quickly, and soon she was running through mossy greenness, pursued by Dracula. He was dressed complete in a tuxedo and cape, sharp canines showing, and blood was dripping down from his mouth. He kept calling out to her, telling her to stay out of the woods or she would regret it.

The Dracula dreams were followed in quick succession by dreams of werewolves, mummies, and Frankenstein. It was a B-movie festival in her brain, and when her cell phone chimed out she awoke not knowing where she was—or where the next monster was going to appear from. It took two more chimes before she was awake enough to bang on the wall between her room and Quin's before getting up to switch on their recording devices. She allowed it another two rings before she had screwed her courage up enough to answer.

She didn't know what her problem was. She was acting like this was her first case. She picked up the phone, holding it like it was going to bite her. A quick glance showed her that it was, indeed, the same number she'd dialed earlier.

Punching the accept button, she raised the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she said.

"Hello, Agent Christina Vlodak? This is Carlisle Cullen. I'm returning your call from earlier."

It was the same voice that had been on the message. Definitely sexy.

"Yes, Dr. Cullen... Thank you so much for returning my call."

"No problem. I actually don't use this phone number anymore, but we've left it on and I try to check my messages regularly. I usually check them earlier on the weekends, but I wasn't able to this weekend. I was just lucky to have caught yours from earlier today."

Lucky, my ass, Christina thought. She'd learned long ago in her job to be very suspicious of anything that looked like luck.

"You said you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes, Doctor Cullen," Christina said, watching as Quin quietly slipped through the door. He pointed to the machine on the table and she nodded her head to indicate that it was running. "I was calling in regards to one of your foster children... Jasper Hale? I was wondering when the last time was you had any contact with him."

"Jasper? We...we haven't seen him since shortly after my other son and his wife were killed. We've spoken with him a few times since then, but I'd say we haven't heard anything from him at all since...how long has it been, Esme?" they heard him ask someone. Esme Cullen was the wife and mother, Christina knew. "Since last summer. Early July. Not even any contact at Christmas. Of course, we've been out of the country for a while, so he might have attempted some form of contact that didn't reach us, but...no phone calls...or letters...or emails. May I ask why you're looking for him?"

"We have reason to believe he may be involved in some gang activity, or at least have knowledge of the whereabouts of a person that we are looking for."

"I see," Carlisle said quietly. "This is...quite a surprise." Christina could hear quiet talking for a minute, followed by a woman's muffled crying. "Are you sure it is Jasper you are looking for? Do you have proof?"

"We have proof that he was involved in some violent activity down in Mexico..."

"But that's in another country. I don't think he's out of the country..." Dr. Cullen protested.

"Yes, but we have reason to believe he might have engaged in similar activity on our side of the border as well. At the very least, we need to bring him in for questioning."

"Well, as I said earlier, he isn't here."

"Would it be possible for us to interview you in person, Dr. Cullen?" Christina asked. Quin looked at her in surprise.

"Well, I suppose so. You'll have to come up here, though. My wife and I recently had a bad experience flying, and I'm afraid there is no way I'll be getting her back on a plane any time soon."

"That wouldn't be a problem—if, of course, you could tell me where 'here' is."

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry. We're currently living in Alaska."

"Of course you are..." Christina muttered, covering the phone with her hand. They couldn't be living some place warm and sunny, oh no... "That's not a problem, Dr. Cullen. When would it be convenient for us to come up and talk to you? We can be up there as early as tomorrow afternoon."

"Well...that should be fine, Agent Vlodak. We live about equal distance between Fairbanks and Anchorage, so...let me know which you'd rather fly into and Esme and I can drive there and meet you."

Christina thought quickly before speaking again. "Oh, we don't mind driving out to where you live."

Carlisle gave a little chuckle. "Well, that's all very good and well, Agent Vlodak, and while I'm not saying you can't, I will tell you that things are a little rough out here right now. My wife and I are in the process of doing some restoration work on some family property, and right now all we've got is what's known around here as a 'dry cabin'. No running water. No electricity, for that matter. So, if it's all the same to you, maybe we could reach a compromise and meet at the nearest town? You're more than welcome to visit the property if you want, but as far as accommodations...well, I'd suggest either Tok, if you're flying into Fairbanks, or Glennallen, if you're coming to Anchorage."

Christina was nodding, watching and making sure that Quin was writing everything down. Even if the call was being recorded, she liked physical notes made at the time of the discussion. "That sounds like it would work, Dr. Cullen. I'll call back and let you know which we choose, and you can meet us there."

"Excellent," Carlisle said. "We'll plan on staying in town, too. Neither one of us is going to turn down a real bed, a hot shower, and food that wasn't cooked on a camp stove."

"All right, then. Thank you for calling me back. We'll be in touch as soon as I know our schedule." Christina hung up the phone.

"Skype isn't good enough anymore?" Quin asked. "If all we're doing is interviewing one or two people—"

"I want to meet them in person," Christina said. "I can't get a feel for people on digital interviews. Besides, don't you want to meet some vampires in person?" she asked, sarcastically.

"Um, no, not really."

"Well, tough. Call the airlines and get us a flight to Alaska."

"Me? It was _your _idea! Besides, we should wait till morning and let the home office make the arrangements."

"I want them made tonight," Christina said. "The sooner we get up there, the better."

"Is this one of your hunches?" Quin asked.

"Maybe. Maybe..."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **FFNet has been a bit of pain a few times this last week. I was incredibly swamped at home and at work this past week. Unfortunately, MY free time, and FFNet's FUNCTIONING time rarely seemed to coincide. I did not get most of the reviews replied to. For this I apologise. I read them all, and appreciate them all, and managed to answer a few. THIS week will be better. I know.

**Thing I'm pretty sure about in this chapter**: I'm pretty sure you may be wondering about Mstislav's back story. No, you haven't missed anything. Jasper knows a bit, from things Mstislav told him back in "Running". Bella knows a little bit, too. But nobody has really bothered REALLY talking to the werewolf. It may be time for a little backstory, maybe as an out-take or a one shot. What do you think?

**Thing I am SURE about**: Peter is a shitty babysitter.

**Chapter 11**

There was chaos in the Cullens' cabin in Alaska. Bella thought she'd seen chaos already—they seemed to be constantly bickering, arguing, or discussing some issue or another. Not Carlisle and Esme, but the younger members of the family. Always. And now Peter and Charlotte seemed to fit right in. Even Charlotte was voicing an opinion. Loudly.

But nothing like this. She stepped slowly back from the yelling match, trying to decide if she should flee or not. Jasper was right in the center of it all, looking like he was having a good time. In fact, he looked downright gleeful, so she thought she should probably stay.

Her retreat from the fray brought her closer to Mstislav, though, so she was trapped anyway. She'd have to get even closer to him than she was comfortable with if she wanted to exit the cabin.

"Do they do this often?" Mstislav asked her.

She looked at him for a moment without speaking, debating on whether she should move away and pretend like she hadn't heard the question. Finally she decided that speaking to him really couldn't hurt anything. It wasn't like she was alone with him, and Jasper had worked his way through the arguing group of vampires so that he was standing near them, watchful in case anything happened to her.

"Um...from what I've seen so far, yes."

"You sound like you are not familiar with their ways."

Nosy bastard, she thought. "I'm still new."

"Ah. So you were a youngling when Jasper was chasing you across my part of the world. That explains your erratic behaviour."

"Uh...yeah, sure."

"And now he has brought you back to his coven, and you live here with him and his other mate..."

"What? No! _I'm _his mate! He only has one mate!"

"My apologies," Mstislav said, lifting up his hands. "I'm only going off something he said when I first met him."

"Oh. Well...things changed. I'm his mate now," Bella said firmly.

"Interesting. I was not aware these things could change, even in vampires."

Bella snorted. "Yeah, well, it was news to a lot of people."

Emmett's voice sounded above the fray, his words causing the rest of them to fall silent. "But don't you all see? This could solve our problems!"

"And how, pray tell, could it solve our problems?" Rose asked. "Explain it to us, please, Emmett."

"Well, this chick comes to Alaska...and BAM! Almost front door delivery for Mstislav here. He's got his mate, he's happy, and he goes away, incidentally taking with him the very person that is hunting down Jasper and Peter! What could be more perfect?"

"For starters," Rose said, "it's not a single person looking for Jasper and Peter. Its the FBI, Emmett, and losing their agent on the case isn't going to make them go away. It's going to bring them _all_ up here, and Jasper and Peter will probably be blamed for her disappearance, too!"

"Well...true. Maybe. But Carlisle and Esme could have a good alibi for where they were at the time, and Jasper and Peter aren't even up here, as far as they know. And we'd still be getting rid of the only _real_ threat to us here. The werewolf. Sorry, man..." Emmett said, directing his apology in Mstislav's direction.

"No worries, my friend," Mstislav said.

"Not to mention, Emmett, we cannot just...just _deliver_ this woman to a werewolf! For the love of God! What are you thinking?"

"Um...I'm thinking she's his mate...?" Emmett said, sounding confused.

Rose tilted her head back and shrieked in frustration. "So _he_ says! Has anybody asked the _woman_?"

"Maybe Carlisle and Esme can take him with them when they go to meet with the agents... You know, introduce him as a friend or cousin or something..."

"The idea has merit," Mstislav said, sounding eager.

"It does _not_ have merit!" Rose yelled, rounding on the werewolf. "It is _stupid_. How could we be sure that you would not just throw her over your shoulder and take off with her, in front of her partner and anybody else that happened to be around?"

"I would do _no_ such thing," Mstislav said, sounding affronted.

"So _you_ say."

"I did not take her like that when she was in _my _country, and it would have been so much easier..." he pointed out.

"Oh, and what do you really expect them to say? 'This is our cousin. He thinks he's imprinted...or bonded...or something to _you_. He swears it's love. Oh, and please excuse the drooling. He's a _werewolf_'? Does nobody else in this room think that might be a _teensy_ bit of a problem? We're talking about somebody's _life _here!"

"Well..." Emmett said, looking at Mstislav, "we've never really sat down and discussed it, you know? I mean, how does it work for a human when a werewolf is...uh, attracted to her...or him?"

All eyes turned to stare at the werewolf in question. "I don't quite know for sure, not from first hand experience."

"Wait a minute. I thought that whole thing with the Volturi was because they stole your mate way back when..." Jasper said, confusion clear in his voice.

"They stole my wife, the love of my _human _life," Mstislav corrected him. "I have never found a mate as a werewolf, although I have known several that have, and the pairs appear quite happy."

"But didn't you say you had, um, family?"

"I have taken lovers through the years, and sired children, yes, but they all remained human. This is different."

"Oh, _great_!" Rosalie said. "So we're not just expected to procure you a human, we're actually leading somebody to their life-changing doom. How can any of you actually consider being a part of this?" She glared around the room at all of the vampires.

"Actually, Rosie..." Emmett said, hesitantly, "I'm kinda happy you found me, and that Carlisle turned me."

Esme was nodding. "So am I. And I felt drawn to Carlisle the first time I met him, even though I was little more than a child at the time."

Carlisle was also nodding. "It seems rather clear to me that in vampire pairings, both parties feel something, even when one is still human. With the Quileute's imprinting, I have yet to hear of a case where the human is opposed to the bond. Why would it be any different with werewolves?"

"You are all crazy," Rosalie said. "Could we at least agree that maybe, perhaps, we could address one problem at a time? I mean, great, we know who the wolf is looking for. Fantastic. Let's make sure we can get them off Carlisle and Esme's back before we go and start playing matchmaker."

"You're right, Rosalie," Carlisle said.

"I am?" she sounded surprised.

"Yes. I don't want to confuse our own issues any more than they already are. If our guest could, perhaps, agree to wait a while in his pursuit...? Preferably when she is no longer anywhere near Alaska?" He looked at Mstislav.

"I can do this, yes. I thought it would take a very long time to even track her down. To find out her whereabouts so quickly puts me way ahead of schedule."

"Great. He has a schedule," Rose muttered.

"Gotta love a man with a plan," Emmett said.

"All right, Esme and I will go meet the agents when they arrive in the state. Hopefully, they will be satisfied that we truly know nothing of Jasper's whereabouts and they will leave again. When we're sure that we are no longer persons of interest, we can address our other pending problems."

"I'd like to go with you," Alice said. "I could see them _so _much better, I think, if I could just meet them in person."

"No," Carlisle and Jasper said at the same time.

"But—"

"No," Carlisle said again. "Chances are, they will conclude that you are with Jasper, wherever he supposedly is. People in Forks knew you were together. If you are with us, they might want to grill us even more."

"Like I'm afraid of that," Alice scoffed.

"I'd rather not make this a cast of thousands, if you please," Carlisle said. "We'll have to tell them Emmett and Rosalie are still alive, and there's a chance they'll want to talk to them, too."

"Well, I could just—"

"No."

Alice huffed in disgust but didn't argue any further. Jasper eyed her speculatively before turning to Carlisle and speaking. "I, however, should go with you...so I can be on hand in case there's a problem."

"Like what?" Rose said. "They pull a gun on them? Come on, Jasper, it's just a couple of humans. Carlisle and Esme are better equipped than any of us to pull the wool over their eyes."

"You aren't coming, Jasper," Carlisle said.

"But—"

"No. Now, Alice, are you able to see anything about the coming visit?"

"Not as much as I _could _see if I could just—"

"Enough, Alice. Just tell us what you've seen under the current circumstances."

"Well, it's not much. I see Emmett and Rose in a cabin with strangers' luggage laying around. They're doing something to electronic equipment."

"That's gotta be it," Emmett said. "Sounds like our moment of glory is coming up, Rosie baby!"

"I still think I should go along," Alice tried one more time.

"No. I want all of you to stay here," Carlisle said. "Don't try my patience, Alice."

Peter laughed. "Y'all are just too funny. Do you want me to stay here and babysit them, Carlisle? Make sure everybody stays where they're supposed to?"

Carlisle looked around the room at his family, most of whom were trying very hard not to look like they were sulking. "That might not be a bad idea, Peter."

In the end, though, Emmett and Rose were in the truck with Carlisle and Esme when they left the next morning. A call from Agent Anderson let Carlisle know the two agents were flying into Fairbanks, and Alice had been able to see them arriving in Tok and meeting with Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle called and made lodging arrangements accordingly. A lucky cancellation gave them two cabins at a bed and breakfast, where the owners were familiar with Carlisle and Esme. Emmett and Rosalie went along, both to give the agents a chance to interview them rather than hunting them down later and to give Emmett an opportunity to hack into any equipment they might bring with them and gather additional information.

The rest that were left behind were a sullen bunch except for Peter, who found the whole thing rather funny. "You people can't decide if you're a coven of vampires or the Brady Bunch!" he said, chuckling.

"I'm going to work on my house," Mstislav said. "Things have changed, and I must build accordingly."

"Great," Jasper mumbled, "he'll probably have a ten room monstrosity put up by tomorrow."

"He's not bringing her back _here_, is he?" Alice said, horrified. "How does changing a human into a werewolf even _happen_?"

"I have no idea, Alice," Jasper said. "I think I better make sure that he's not planning on doing it here. I just thought...well, I'm not sure I thought that far at all, to be honest."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Great planning, Tex."

"Wanna come with me, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"Um...no, thank you. I think I got my daily dose of werewolf earlier. Baby steps, you know?"

"Okay, you stay here. I'll be back..." Jasper said, sounding rather vague, and disappeared out the door.

"Well. I might as well start taking measurements for my cabin since we're wrapping things up with this one..." Alice said, following him out. Bella bristled and started to follow, but Peter stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Shhhh!" he said, putting his finger to his lips. "Listen. She is going nowhere near him, Miss Bella. Don't fret."

Bella cocked her head, listened, and realized he was correct. Jasper was heading further down the lane, and Alice could be heard prowling around one of the closer cabins.

"She does not want your mate, Bella," Charlotte said. "If she did, you would know it. Vampires are not known to be subtle in such pursuits."

"Even if she _did _want him, she wouldn't be interested in stealing him away from you," Peter added. "A mate is a mate. But sometimes they can be lured away with promises of temporary pleasures."

"Be quiet, Peter. You are not helping things," Charlotte hissed at him as Bella bristled up again.

"What? I'm just trying to tell her how things are with us. I think sometimes Carlisle skims over the less pleasant aspects of our lives. She needs to know to be watchful when there are strange females about but _not_," he added, looking back at Bella, "to be worried about her coven sister. Alice is not interested in your mate as anything more than a sibling. That sort of thing usually isn't tolerated in a coven. Carlisle would never stand for it, I'm sure."

"I try not to worry," Bella whispered, "but it's difficult."

Peter nodded. "It would be, with her being an unattached female, even without the bizarre circumstances surrounding their relationship. You are doing very well."

"I don't feel like it sometimes," Bella said.

"Well, she's in one piece and still moving, so I'd say you're doing very well indeed. Why don't we straighten up in here. All this discussing of things has made a mess of what few things Carlisle and Esme have moved in.

Straightening the cabin took all of two minutes. They all stood looking at each other for a moment, listening to the silence.

It was very, _very _silent.

"Shit," Peter said.

"They're gone," Charlotte said.

"All of them!" Bella said before rushing out the door and disappearing into the forest.

"Carlisle is going to be so pissed at me," Peter whimpered. "I'm a terrible babysitter."

Charlotte patted his back. "That's all right, Peter. They're all grown vampires, able to take care of themselves. And if you're really, really lucky, they'll all come back before Carlisle and Esme do. Why don't we go find those hot springs Emmett and Rose were telling us about and have a good long soak..."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Bella quickly checked all the cabins, just to be sure, but it only confirmed what she already knew. All three of them—Jasper, Alice, _and _Mstislav—had taken off. The scent trails were all separate but quite clear, even to her poor tracking ability. The pull towards Jasper was strong, though, and she wouldn't need a scent trail to find him.

That son of a bitch, she thought. He left me. He said he wouldn't, and he did. When I catch him...

Suddenly she realized she was almost on top of him. He was standing stock still in a clearing, watching her approach.

"You left! You asshole!" Bella shrieked, launching herself at him and taking him down in a tackle that he didn't bother to deflect.

"Bella—" he tried to say, but she started punching him.

"You left! You left! You left!" she continued to yell, trying to emphasize each word with a punch. He might have allowed the tackle, but he quickly grabbed her fists and refused to let go.

"I didn't leave. Well, I did... Alice took off, and I knew Carlisle didn't want any of us to follow them...but he hadn't _ordered _us to not follow him, so I knew I had to try to stop her. But I couldn't leave you, I had to stop. I waited for you. I knew you'd follow... I could feel you coming. I just didn't want to drag Peter and Charlotte into this."

"ARGH! You make me so _mad_ sometimes!" she yelled once more before jumping off him and beginning to pace. He stood up slowly and began to brush pine needles off his clothes.

"Look, Alice...I can't let her just go waltzing in there and disrupt Carlisle's meeting. She thinks she knows best, but she doesn't always," Jasper said, trying to explain. "I need to catch up to her and stop her. But I couldn't leave you behind, either. And now...now I—_we_—may not be able to catch her."

"Oh!" Bella said, stopping her pacing. "Well...all right, then. Sorry. I jumped to conclusions."

"Easy to do around here right now," Jasper muttered. "Things haven't been this confusing since Alice and I joined the family. And I should have just come and got you first. Sometimes I just act on instinct, too."

"So...shouldn't we be going?"

"We'll never catch her now," Jasper said with a sigh.

"Mstislav is gone, too," Bella told him.

"Son of a _bitch_!" Jasper swore. "Well, I guess we better head out anyway. _Him_, at least, we can catch up to and stop."

"Jasper...you might be able to still catch Alice if I'm not with you, don't you think?" Bella asked, the words almost choking her as they came out.

"Maybe..." Jasper said hesitantly. "Why?"

"Well...you can run on ahead and try to catch her, and I can follow the pull and find where you go. And we'll all _still_ arrive before Mstislav. He may be faster than a human, but he's not nearly as fast as we are, right? Alice has her visions to guide her, and we have Alice to guide _us_. But even if he _can _follow us by scent at this point in his cycle, he'll be way behind us in no time. I mean, he might even have to be sticking close to the road, which will slow him down even further."

"True...but I don't want to leave you behind. Even this little bit of time just now...and look how it made you crazy."

"But I didn't _know_ you were waiting for me, don't you see?" Bella said. "I'll know where you are, and I'll know I just have to catch up. It'll be like a game...kinda of," she added, sounding doubtful.

"I don't like it."

"Come on, Jasper, I can do this!" Bella said, stomping her foot for emphasis.

"Really, Bella? Foot stomping?" he asked, grinning. "This from the woman who, not a minute ago, was willing to rip my limbs off for leaving her? Lord save me from erratic teen vampires."

"UGH! Just...just GO! She's getting away!" Bella yelled, shoving at him.

Jasper laughed. "Okay, if you insist... Just remember, it was your idea."

He took off running, Bella hot on his heels. Gradually, though, he pulled ahead of her, and soon he was out of sight. Bella had known he was faster than her—they'd raced more than once since they'd gotten together—but she hadn't realized just how much faster he was. Not nearly as fast as Edward had been, but he was probably the second fastest in the Cullen clan. She kept thinking of it as a game of chase, though, and the panic that had hit her back at the cabin did not return. "So there!" she thought smugly.

She'd realized moments after Jasper had taken off that this would be the first time she'd be truly alone since he'd found her in Siberia. She hadn't been lying to him when she told him she could do this. She _could_ do this. But still, being alone was an odd feeling, and she held tight to the feel of his pull. She'd never truly be alone as long as she could feel that.

She thought that they were all running parallel to a highway now. Remembering the maps she'd seen of the area back at the cabin, she knew it had to be the highway that eventually went to Tok. The scent trail suddenly turned, heading straight for the road, and Bella slowed down, not willing to cross it until she'd made sure it was safe to do so. Evidently Alice and Jasper had felt no such need. There was no sign of either of them slowing down on their approach to the road. Alice, of course, would have seen exactly when it was okay for her to cross. Jasper probably just didn't give a shit.

Bella was more cautious. She paused in the thick brush several yards from the road, listening carefully for any cars and inhaling to check for any scents. The road seemed to be deserted at the moment, no sounds of vehicles in either direction. To the east she could hear the sounds of human habitation, though, and it made her even more cautious. She crept closer to the road, still not willing to run across it.

In the distance to her left she could hear the sound of an approaching vehicle. She could have easily crossed the road before it ever came in sight, but instead she crouched even lower in the brush, waiting for the large truck to pass. When it did, she was glad she had, for it carried with it a very familiar smell.

"Son of a _bitch_!" she cursed under her breath, not realizing she sounded exactly like her mate at that moment. Indecision filled her now. Continue following Jasper's trail or follow the werewolf? He couldn't hurt her, not at this point in his cycle. She was sure of that. Well, fairly sure of that. He was alone, and she could run faster than him, of _that_ she was sure. Her instincts pulled her towards her mate. Duty to her family, tenuous and in its infant stages still, told her she should follow the werewolf and keep an eye on him. After all, they were all going to the same place, right? And at the end of the trip, both Jasper and Carlisle would be waiting.

She nodded to herself. She needed to follow the wolf. Someone needed to keep an eye on him.

It took her no time at all to catch up to the truck, especially since it had stopped for gas. Hiding in the shadows between two trucks parked in the gravel lot, she could see that the lock on the back of the large truck had been broken. In a flash she was across the parking lot and slipping into the truck, the blur of her passing causing a couple of the people nearby to startle thinking it was perhaps a low flying bird or something.

The inside of the truck was almost black, but enough light filtered in through imperfections in the seams to allow Bella to see. She didn't need her eyesight to tell her Mstislav was inside, though. The stench was more than enough.

"What are you doing?" she hissed as quietly as she could, avoiding the area where she could tell he was hiding amongst the boxes.

"What do you think I am doing?" he whispered back. "I am not nearly as fast as your kind at this point. I needed to find the next best thing. I did not think it would be wise of me to steal a vehicle and bring unwanted attention upon either myself or my host. So I am...how do you say it? Hitching a ride."

The truck started up again and lurched back onto the road.

"And what do you think you're going to do when we get to Tok?" she asked. "I can't let you make a scene."

"I said before I have no intention of 'making a scene'. I merely wish to see her and confirm if it is the same woman. After all, there may be many women of the same name. It could just be a coincidence."

"We couldn't be so lucky," Bella muttered. "I have no doubt that it is the same woman."

"I can feel her coming..." Mstislav said softly. "Or at least I think I can. You know this pull I speak of, yes?"

"Yes, I know it," Bella confirmed, sitting down on a box, being sure to still keep her distance from the werewolf. Mstislav had emerged from the shadows and was seated several feet away from her on a another stack of boxes.

"I could not believe it when I first saw her. I did not know whether to laugh or to cry. It is a wonderful thing to find one's mate, but when they are human it is a cursed decision to have to make."

"Edward felt the same way," Bella said, and instantly wondered why she was sharing this private, personal information. Except...she knew how Mstislav must feel.

"But he changed you in the end, this Edward of yours. Your dead mate..." Mstislav observed.

"Yes, he did. The pull was stronger than any desire to remain apart could be."

"Then you do understand."

"We _all_ understand," Bella growled. "That's why we didn't kill you out of hand when you arrived. You're just lucky you fell in with such a soft hearted group."

Mstislav chuckled. "Yes, truly you are all an aberration in the vampire world."

"You should meet our cousins, the Denalis," Bella said. "They spend their lives lying with human males."

Mstislav nodded. "The succubi. Yes, I know of them. They are, after all, from my part of the world. They are spoken of still, in some circles. But how do they go unnoticed now if they are still practising their craft?"

Bella shrugged. "They started feeding from animals at some point, as the Cullens do. They no longer kill their men. They just bed them."

"Ah, yes, that would be easier to hide."

Silence fell on the truck for a while.

"So..." Bella finally said, curiosity eating at her. She'd wanted to know so much about him but hadn't been able to approach him. Now that she was stuck with him, though, she felt she might as well indulge. "That vendetta with the Volturi... That wasn't over your mate?"

Mstislav shook his head. "No. It was over my wife. It all started a long time ago, when I was still fully human. The Volturi came and took her away, and so I hunted them. Eventually, with your help, of course, I was able to destroy them."

Bella stared at him in the low light. "That is really fucked up."

"Were you not in the process of wanting to do the same when my people first found you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes...but I was...I'm not human. It's different with us."

Mstislav shrugged. "Perhaps it would have been different with me, as well, had I remained human. But in the time and place I come from, vengeance was a very strong motivating force, even amongst humans. Enough to cause me to search out and embrace this change. And then...well, violence and revenge fit easily into what I had become."

"It sounds like an interesting story," Bella said.

Mstislav considered her for a moment. "I think perhaps we both have interesting stories," he said. "Perhaps we could exchange them while we wait for this truck to get to it's destination."

"How do you even know it's going to the right place?" she asked.

He laughed quietly. "If you had paid more attention, you would have seen that it had "Michelson's Hauling Services, Tok, Alaska," printed in large red letters on its side. You need to pay more attention if you are going to be playing these games with us."

"Us?" she asked.

"We're not the only ones headed to Tok, are we? You didn't come here following me. Your mate never would have allowed that, I think. You just happened to stumble upon me while you were following him. And Jasper...who was Jasper following?"

Bella didn't answer, asking a question of her own instead. "So...tell me your story, Mstislav. I have a feeling yours is longer than mine."

"No doubt you are correct. Well, it all began long ago in my homeland, what you would now call Czechoslovakia."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I had actually written this, or most of it, back while writing "Running". I had to get Mstislav's back story straight in my mind. I never did anything with it at the time, though. I'm not honestly sure how much of this he might already have shared with Bella or Jasper, or both, back in "Running". I think it's safe to assume that it is the first time Bella has heard most of it.

**Chapter 12**

"I told you once, early on, that I once had a mate," Mstislav said, his eyes un-focusing. "Perhaps I misspoke. We can be very long-lived, just like your kind, although it requires much more effort on our part. But we are not immortal, and not numerous enough, usually, to find true mates within our own kind. We are vulnerable much of the time, you realize. It is very difficult for us to stay alive once we are discovered. People don't take kindly to us being part of their community. We have no control of ourselves in our wolf form, no way at all to stop from attacking and killing those we care for. Much like I imagine your kind is like during your newborn phase." His eyes refocused, and he smiled at Bella's look of surprise. "Oh, yes, I know quite a bit about your kind. I've made it my business through the centuries to learn. We become what we are through a bite, just as you do. But to actually become a werewolf, that is usually by pure chance. As I said, there is no control among our kind when we are in our wolf form, unlike your kind, who can change a human by choice." He looked pointedly at Bella. "For love. Or," his eyes closed, "for other reasons: power, control, politics.

"Part of the lore of my kind is that this..._problem_...runs in families. That is merely because it is often family members that fall victim to the bites of an afflicted relative. There is an old, old tradition in some parts of the world of families banding together to actually care for and attempt to save beloved members that have been damned to this life. It is the only way, really, that we can survive for any amount of time. In the old days, we were often used for protection—tied up and locked away during the full moon, unless it became necessary to...release us...on enemies. It was not a perfect system, but it worked. For a werewolf to survive any amount of time, it requires a fairly decent support system."

"The woman in the forest," Bella said, remembering her time in Siberia with Jasper.

Mstislav nodded. "My great-granddaughter, if you can believe it. We are as fertile as the next human, and we can mate freely with humans with no fear of harm." He glanced at Bella again. "Indeed, for most of the month we _are_ human. Well, I suppose now, with modern medicine, that may turn out to not be so true. But nobody will be taking a blood sample from me any time soon. Through the ages, I have taken many wives, loved many women, sired many children—all, I admit, with the interest of having a network to ensure that I survive. Again, it is an old tradition, still alive and well in many of the old parts of the world. This modern world edges us out, though, much like it is doing to yourselves. At least, as vampires, you have a better opportunity to remain hidden within society." He made a face. "I have no such options. I have truly led a damned existence through the ages."

"Well, up until the past few years, maybe. Modern technology is starting to limit our options for coexisting in their world. But I have to ask, Why?" Bella asked bluntly. "What kept you going? I can't imagine being always alone like that—marrying, burying, again and again. At least, as you said, our kind has each other. Why did you do it? Survival instinct? Curiosity?"

"Revenge," Mstislav said, his voice hardening.

Bella leaned forward in the darkness, her interest piqued. This, now, _this_ was something she could understand. "What happened to her?"

Mstislav smiled. "Perceptive child, yes, as most things like these are, it all comes back to a woman—or in your case, child, a man. In any case, a loved one. I was human once, truly human. It was a long time ago. I can't even give you a year because we did not keep time like they do today. I came from the mountains, from a small village near Prague. Not even a village. More like a very large farm, owned and run by my family for generations. We'd seen many rulers come and go in this area, but they all had one thing in common: they needed farmers. So we were always left alone to grow our crops, raise our animals, and pay our tribute. When I was a young man, we began seeing armies marching through there, traveling to a far-off land to fight for their God. Our God, too, I suppose, though we rarely acknowledged him. We had a priest when I was very young, but my grandmother found him annoying, and so my grandfather had him killed. At any rate, these armies brought with them stories of far-off lands. They also brought with them camp-followers. One such woman turned up on our doorstep with a small daughter in tow. She was heavily pregnant with another child, and she'd been abandoned by the army. Of course, being already burdened with one child and about to be burdened by another, she was of no use to them any longer.

"My parents took her in as a servant. She was good with children, and she worked on the farm caring for them for two months before she went into labor. She and the babe both died, leaving behind the little girl. Things were going well for my family at that time, and it was no trouble for them to keep the child, although that was not always the case. By then, my mother, who had always wanted a girl-child, had taken a liking to her. Her name was Eliska. She was several years younger than me, and I was rarely about the house, being old enough by then to work with the other young men in the fields and about the farm, so I did not see very much of her then. But as she grew older, I started to take notice. And she of me. By the time I turned 20, and she was 14, my parents had begun to notice the way things were between us. You must realize," he said to Bella, responding to her shocked look, "that 14 was a more than acceptable age to be married at that time. I was a younger son, she was a strong girl and a good worker, loyal to the family, and, as far as my parents were concerned, an excellent choice for a woman for me. We were not royalty, we were not gentry; we were farmers. Marrying a servant held no stigma in my world. And so, when she was 16 and I was 22, we were wed."

Mstislav sighed. "It was a wonderful year, our first year. There was some concern, of course, when she did not become pregnant, but my grandmother assured us we were still young and there would be time for babies.

"One night, a group of travelers came to the gate. Again, not unusual at that time. My father met them and let them in, but I wish they had never come. They were not," Mstislav stared pointedly Bella, "human."

"Vampires?" Bella asked, surprised. She was thoroughly engrossed in his story.

"Just so. We knew, of course, that they were not human. Again, it was a different time. The lines between the races, between the worlds, were not so strong, especially in this part of the world. Your friends, back at the castle in Romania, already ruled parts of the world more than a little openly, so...while we had never seen one before, we knew what they were. Of course, we had to let them in. We had no choice. We knew back then that there was no way to fight them. Only recently have those silly tales of wooden stakes and silver bullets taken hold.

"We let them in, and everyone—on both sides—pretended there was nothing odd about it. They were polite in their demands, but demand they did. They wanted to see everyone in the household—from the oldest grandsir to the newest babe in arms, from my father down to the lowliest stable boy. We didn't know what they would do—did they intend to kill us all? But if so, why ask us to assemble as they did? It was very odd…well, it was very odd to us, but not to my grandmother. She knew what was happening, and she advised my father to do as directed and to not fight them. She told him that perhaps they would take what they wanted and leave the rest of us be.

"And they did," Mstislav said bitterly. "There were four of them—two of them clearly lords, one dark, one fair. _More_ than fair, his white skin made the whiter by his almost white hair. The dark haired one was the one that did the speaking, pretending to be polite, making requests that were not requests. The blond one just sneered at us, clearly wishing to be somewhere else—or perhaps imagining how we would all taste when it was over. They had two servants with them: one perhaps a guard of some type, and another one that was smaller, female.

"So, we all assembled there in the darkness of the farmyard, nothing but a few torches lighting the night. The female and the dark lord began to walk amongst us. I was so afraid—for myself, my wife, my family. They walked amongst us, pausing occasionally before moving on to the next person. Their eyes were red. I remember them so clearly, even now. _Bright_ red, even in the torchlight. When they got to me and Eliska, they stopped." Mstislav exhaled and shuddered. "I remember it even now. I remember the female's words: 'This one'. Two words, and my world ended. They took her from me." His eyes hardened. "They ripped her from my arms. I tried to stop them, of course. The blond lord interceded, laughing at my attempt, and he knocked me across the courtyard, knocked me unconscious, nearly killing me for my troubles. I wish I _had_ been killed. They did me no kindness by keeping me alive. I did not see anything that happened after that. When I awoke, I was in my own bed, being tended to by my mother. The vampires had left, taking Eliska with them."

"Killing no one?"

Mstislav shrugged. "No. They 'chose' several of the older servants as well, after they'd chosen Eliska. It was presumed that they were fed upon while Eliska was taken for some other...reason.

"I was mad with grief—beyond what would have been considered normal or acceptable for that time period. Most could not understand why, after a few months, I didn't just choose another woman and get on with my life. But I couldn't. I loved her beyond all reason. My grandmother, though, she understood. She'd loved my grandfather with a love like that. She'd met him when they were young. My grandfather had been fighting for our overlord in a foreign land, and she met him, fell in love with him, and followed him home. It was _she_ who came up with the idea, a way that I could, perhaps, have my revenge."

"Revenge…" Bella whispered, familiar with the need, the concept, the drive.

"Yes. _My_ first thought—once I was capable of some sort of rational thought, of course—was to become like them, become a vampire. But my grandmother was against that idea. Too risky, she thought. Too difficult to find a vampire that would be willing to bite me without draining me. Even though they were known to exist, and we had seen them ourselves, it wasn't like there was one on every street corner, so to speak. And it certainly was not possible to go and request to be changed. They changed those of _their_ choosing, she told me, much as they had chosen Eliska for reasons of their own. But I argued with her. I wanted to become a vampire. If I was one too, I reasoned, I could find her, and then we could be together.

"She told me that that would not be possible. She said that Eliska would not remember me. According to her, a vampire forgot their humanity, forgot their human lives." He looked at Bella, a question in his eyes.

Bella shrugged. "That's true with me. It varies, from what I've been told. It is possible to remember...but it takes a strong will, and it takes someone being with you, encouraging you, helping you through the burn. It is not...a normal occurrence. I remembered little of my own human life, even with Edward and the Cullens being with me through the change. And Jasper told me...if a vampire wants more control over those they sire, it is better that they remember as little as possible of their human life."

Mstislav nodded. "Yes, that is what I saw... But I get ahead of myself. My grandmother was rather a bloody-minded woman, even for that time. Remember the priest I mentioned? She encouraged me to consider revenge as opposed to attempting a happy reunion. Revenge, she kept insisting, was the only option left to me. To this day, I am not sure what was behind that, why she didn't just let it go and let me sink back into life. She must have had reasons of her own, reasons that I never learned of.

"She told me stories from her own people of a creature that could kill vampires. She made it sound like a much better option. Hindsight being twenty-twenty, of course, I'm not sure she was right. But, I was young and foolish and desperate to have revenge upon the vampire who had stolen my love. I had by then convinced myself—no doubt with the help of my grandmother—that the blond one had stolen my wife away to be his mate."

"Caius..." Bella breathed. "Athenodora was your wife? Your love?"

"No!" Mstislav snorted. "I do not know this Athenodora, although I am more than familiar with Caius. I needed to focus on one of them, and of course I chose him. He was the one that almost killed me. And so, to my injured pride, it was all his fault. I listened to my grandmother, and one day I packed my belongings and left, to travel to her people and pursue my new purpose in life. She'd given me a necklace that had been hers as a young girl, so they would know who I was and be willing to help me." He smiled at the memory. "It was all very…how would you say…_epic_, I suppose. The stuff of which stories are written. Of course, I didn't think that at the time.

"I traveled for months far to the east, to where my grandmother had originally come from. There was enough movement in those days, thanks to the wars, that it was not unusual to see people far from their homes. I finally located those I was looking for and, surprisingly enough, there were still family members alive who remembered my grandmother. I was welcomed as family. A long lost son. I did not immediately reveal why I was there, I merely told them of a desire to travel, to see new places. Of course, these were my grandmother's people, and they saw right through me. Within a week, I was drawn aside by an old woman and grilled as to my real purpose for visiting, by a group of several old women from the village. I told them everything that had occurred. They ordered me to keep my intentions to myself, on pain death, and that they would discuss my request. I stayed there for almost a month. Then one day, the woman that I had first spoken to came to me, accompanied by several of the men. They brought me with them to a small cave in the mountains, one that I had not seen before. As the sun went down and the full moon rose, a horrible sound came from within the cave. The men took me into the cave, the woman following, and it was there that I saw my first werewolf.

"I watched in horror the beast before me, chained to the wall, held by thick chains and thicker collars on its neck, legs, arms, and torso. It slobbered and screamed, howled and thrashed, trying to get loose and reach us. I was horrified. Horrified and fascinated.

"'Is this what you want?' the woman demanded. 'Do you think this is the answer?' 'Does it kill vampires?' I asked her back. 'It can,' she admitted. 'It can...after a fashion.' 'Is there any other way you know of to kill them?' 'Fire,' she said. 'Fire is the _only_ thing that will kill them. This,' she gestured at the beast, 'will only injure them, tear them apart. You still have to burn them to fully destroy them.'

"I considered her words. So, becoming a beast would not be the entire answer. 'Think about it,' she said. 'Think about it for a month. We will come back next month.'

"She led us out of the cave. I spent the next month thinking over her words. I was eager to get on with things, eager for my revenge, but I had no choice. I had to wait. At the end of the month, they once again led me to the cave. This time, though, there was another with us; an older man, one that I had become friends with in the village. He seemed to have been gradually growing ill over the past few days, and I questioned the need for him to come along with us, as it was not an easy climb to the cave. But the woman and the other men said nothing, and so I kept my concern for him to myself. When we arrived at the cave, the men seized my friend and chained him to the wall, and I realized that he was the werewolf I'd seen weeks earlier.

"So, now I knew how _I_ would be during the month, and I had seen what I would be like at the height of the full moon. A few hours after they'd chained him to the wall, I saw how I would transform from one to the other. It scared me more than a little, let me tell you. But by that point, I felt like there were no other choices left to me." Mstislav looked at Bella and smiled. "Even then, hundreds of years ago, the young could be very dramatic, thinking their problems were the only problems in the world—or at least more traumatic than anyone else's problems. After all, no one else, I was sure, had ever loved as deeply as I had loved my Eliska and lost. So, the woman asked me again if that was what I wanted, and I said, 'Yes.' The next thing I knew, two of the men had seized my arms, and before I could change my mind, they dragged me close to the creature chained to the wall and shoved one of my arms in its face. Of course, it bit me, but before too much damage could be done, the men dragged me backwards. I remember struggling and being bound by heavy ropes, but then...nothing—nothing, until I was lying naked on the floor of the cave several days later."

"And then?"

"And then," Mstislav said, "I was a werewolf."

Silence descended on the darkness of the truck. Time went by while Bella considered Mstislav's story.

"That's it?" she finally asked.

"Well, no. That was merely the beginning. My grandmother's people tried to persuade me to stay with them for a while, but I was on a mission. So, they sent me off, adding an amulet to complement the necklace my grandmother had given to me so that others of their people would recognize me wherever I went, and to hopefully help me during the full moon. They were the Romani, you see—you would call them gypsies now—and they had already begun to spread throughout Europe by that time, at least in the area of Europe I was most interested in." Mstislav snorted in bitter laughter. "My grandmother had made it sound so easy: I become a werewolf, I go to their city, and I kill the vampires. Let me tell you, it was nowhere near that easy. As well you know, since you were there when it finally all came to an end, it took me almost 700 years, Isabella, during which I became an expert at being what I was...and perfecting the art of killing vampires. So many times in those early years, I came close to Caius, the blond one; close enough to do some damage, but never able to kill him. I lost many of my creations—my offspring—during that time. It became more and more of an obsession as time went on, until I had all but forgotten the reason for it, forgotten my love for Eliska. I forgot everything until killing vampires, destroying the Volturi, became my only reason to exist."

"Did you ever see her again?"

Mstislav paused for a moment and stared at Bella. Bella was pretty sure, though, that he was not _seeing_ her.

"No...I never did. I never knew if she even still existed. Learning more about the Volturi as time went on, I assumed that they'd taken her because they saw something in her, even when she was human—some sort of power they thought would be useful to them. But no, I never saw her again, and I never heard her name from their lips. Of course, they might well have given her a new name."

He shuddered a little then looked at her again, this time seeing her. "It was a very long millennium, but yet in a way it seemed to go by in a flash. Back in Romania, after the fire, I felt like I was awakening from a dream, like I was finally free—free, and no idea what to do with myself. I had aged a bit through the years. As I said before, we are not immortal. I may, though, be the oldest one of my kind, or at least the longest lived. After I began my personal vendetta against Caius and the Volturi, they, of course, escalated matters, until it became a game of mutual genocide. Two species that had previously rarely interacted became sworn enemies, and when it was all over, and I had won the game...I discovered I was lost. I found myself in Moscow, staying with family, trying to figure out what I was going to do with myself next. An identity crisis at my age was quite embarrassing, to be honest. Then I saw her, this woman that looked—at least to my cloudy memory—just like my Eliska. I admit it was that fact that first drew me to her. I saw her in the city and decided to follow, just out of curiosity. I followed her for more than a month while she played her spy games, for it appeared that that was what she was doing, or something like it. I didn't really pay much attention to _what_ she was doing; I was too busy becoming obsessed with her..."

"Sounds like a personality defect to me," Bella said. "You need to get tested for OCD."

"I don't know what that is," Mstislav replied, confused.

"Yeah...never mind. All things considered, it's the least of your worries. So...this woman...you just, what, decided you loved her? Or was there some sort of magic connection?"

"How does it work for you vampires when you find that your mate is a human?"

"Well...Edward wanted to drain me for my blood at first, but that's not the normal form of initial attraction, I think. Carlisle met Esme when she was human, and felt a pull towards her. Rose found Emmett while he was still human, and felt some sort of pull—"

"Yes, yes. A _pull_. That is exactly what I felt. Stronger than any attraction I'd felt before to a woman, aside from Eliska so long ago."

"But you said you'd loved, married, and had children several times through the years."

"I'm a man, Isabella, not a monk. Yes, I've done all those things. And I even loved many of those women, although I don't deny a lot of it was merely a means to an end. As I've said many times before: a werewolf does not make it long without human help. My children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren...I need them all to take care of me."

"And what do they get in return? No offense, but you're a rather high-maintenance family member to have. Certainly a whole lot worse than old Uncle Bob who drinks a wee bit too much."

"Well...up until recently, I could offer protection. In the last few decades…not so much. The old ways are dying. I mean, just look at where you found me! Do you really think I wanted to live in Siberia? No. But I was caught up in the forced migrations—the relocation—from earlier last century. I could not remain behind when all my family—my people—were being shoved into rail cars and sent across a continent. So, I went with them. I had to start over again. You dropping into my lap, as it were, was quite fortuitous."

"Hmph! Glad I could help. What about your children? All those wolves Jasper killed, all the ones that died in Romania, those were all your children? That seems hard, even for you."

"Not my biological children, no. When I impregnate a woman, the offspring is human. It is only through biting that my species continues. My 'children' that you killed were _not_ the children of my loins. I would have certainly been a bit more put out if they had been. I make it a point to never doom my OWN children to this life. At least, to the best of my ability."

"But you said that you knew of pairs that were both werewolves... Can't they have children?"

"They can certainly get pregnant. But the fetus never survives the mother's monthly transformation."

"Oh...that makes sense, I guess. So...what are your plans for Christina?"

Mstislav sighed. "I'm not sure. There is no support system here for us. If I were to change her, we would have to go back to my country. I'm sure you do not want to help care for two of my kind..."

"You've got _that_ right," Bella muttered.

"But she is no child. She might not want to do that. So...I may have to make arrangements to stay here, in this country, in order to be with her."

"Good luck with that. Too bad you couldn't find somebody at home to love."

Mstislav ignored her. "We have no choice in things like this, I think. I am aware that there are problems to be solved. I knew she was American from the way she spoke, and I knew her name, and then one day, she was gone. She'd returned to her own country. I thought I would forget her, or that the pull would fade. But it didn't. Not that I gave it that much time...but I thought my vendetta was over. Eliska had been avenged, and now there was no reason to wait any longer to go on with my life. So, I decided to come to America and prevail upon my friends to help me."

"You presumed a _hell_ of a lot. I wouldn't exactly call us friends."

"Perhaps not, but we are not exactly enemies either, are we?"

"I don't know," Bella said, leaning back against the wall of the truck. "I don't really know. I can certainly sympathize with a lot of your story, so I don't think I'll kill you."

"Good to know."

"But I can't promise the same for the rest of them, once we get to Tok."

"Ah...well, I have a feeling that things will get interesting when we get to Tok."


	13. Chapter 13

**Things I know very little about:** The mating sounds of raccoons. Baby raccoons? Yep, very cute. Mama raccoons _calling _for baby raccoons? Yep. But the sounds that started the whole thing? Not so much.

** Chapter 13**

"It's at times like these that I wish we could actually eat," Carlisle murmured, watching Esme expertly flick bits of pan seared trout into a plastic bag hidden in her purse, which was currently sitting slightly open on the floor next to her.

"Well, we could hardly get out of it... The owners were so thrilled to see 'little Carlisle Cullen, all grown up and a married man, to boot' that they comped the meal. It would have been rude to refuse." She shook her head. "I can't believe they actually think they remember you when you were a boy. After all, your 'father' only came here a couple of times... Are you _sure_ you don't have a talent? The things you can convince people of, Carlisle, I swear..."

"Merely the power of suggestion, my dear," Carlisle said, flicking his own meal through the air, across the table, and into her purse.

"Two points for the scallop," she whispered, low enough to be silent to any humans nearby, which there were none.

"Humans," Carlisle continued, "are very open to suggestion. Henry clearly remembered me, or rather my 'father', because of course it had to be my father. Rather than try getting out of it, or convincing him that he doesn't remember anything, it is far easier to just build the lie around the base he's already built. And it works to our advantage in this case. He seems to have liked my 'father' quite well." Carlisle smiled. "If I remember correctly, however, my 'father' found Henry to be rather annoying. Constantly wanted to take my father out fishing."

Esme laughed. "I do remember that. All done there?" When Carlisle nodded, she reached down and shut her purse, quickly closing the plastic bag first.

"Dessert?" the owner's wife asked, appearing at their table with almost vampire speed.

"Um...no, thank you, Margie. As I said before, we're expecting to meet some people here. We'll wait and have some later when they arrive."

She nodded, picking up their nearly empty dishes. "Was everything all right?"

"Oh, yes!" Esme said quickly. "It was quite delicious. I'm really looking forward to getting our kitchen set up so I can start cooking more than camping meals. The possibilities in the area are just amazing!"

"Can I get you some coffee while you wait?"

Carlisle looked at his watch. "That would be great," he said, nodding.

Esme looked surprised at this.

"All right. I'll be right back."

Esme waited till she was out of earshot before leaning over the table. "We're staying for coffee?" she whispered.

Carlisle nodded slightly. "Do you _really_ want to go back to the cabin right away?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

They'd left Emmett and Rosalie in the little two-bedroom cabin they'd rented, Rosalie begging off of supper, saying she had a headache. A concerned Margie had delivered meals straight to the cabin for the younger couple despite Carlisle and Esme's protests that it wasn't necessary. She'd quickly returned, blushing furiously, and Carlisle did not want to even think about what the poor woman might have seen—or heard.

"True."

A moment later Margie came back with coffee, and Carlisle and Esme sat back and pretended to sip and enjoy. After a couple of fake sips, however, Carlisle realized the error in his plan. Esme certainly did not want coffee poured in her purse. "Care to join me on the porch?" he asked Esme, standing up and gesturing towards the door.

"Of course," she said, leading the way. The porch overlooked a small pond. The forest behind it, and mountains further in the distance, allowed a relaxing view for both humans and vampires. It was warm enough in the Alaskan summer that sitting outside would not draw attention to themselves, and leaning on the railing allowed them to carefully pour the coffee into the shrubs below.

"Things seem to be going fairly well back at the cabins," Esme said.

"Yes, they do. Bella is settling in nicely, and Jasper has calmed down, too."

"The cabins will probably be finished by the end of the summer, though. There's only so long we can drag that particular project out."

Carlisle shrugged. "Jasper's already talking about tearing theirs down next summer and rebuilding it with the logs he's got curing. And the winter...well, I foresee nobody emerging for much of any reason during the dark months. It can be stretched out, not that we'll need to draw it out too long. Bella's doing better than I expected her to. Good Lord, remember Rosalie?"

Esme shuddered. "Oh, yes. She didn't settle at all, not until she brought Emmett home. And then it was a decade of another sort of chaos."

"And when Jasper and Alice arrived on our doorstep, it was years again before the dust settled down. No, I think things are going very well in spite of all these other distractions and problems, which we'll hopefully get cleared up soon. Either way, though, Jasper and Bella don't have to worry about re-joining the human world any time soon. We can all just concentrate on what's important."

"I'm so glad he was able to bring her back, both times, and convince her to stay."

Carlisle smiled. He had no doubt that after Edward, Bella was his wife's favorite "child". The one she'd been able to actually see grow up a little bit. The attachment was a deep one, and Carlisle had no doubt that it ran both ways. "Oh, I don't think she really wants to leave, as skittish as she is. She loves you, Esme. She loves having a mother. I don't need to be Jasper to feel that."

"She loves you, too, you know," Esme murmured, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"I know."

The sound of a car in the lodge's driveway had them both turning back towards the building. "Is that them, do you think?" Esme whispered.

"Could be. The timing is correct, if their flight was on time." They fell silent, listening carefully for voices.

"You grab the luggage, Quin," they heard a familiar voice say. "I'll see about getting us checked in, and see if the Cullens are here yet."

"Showtime!" Carlisle whispered, and they both returned to the railing, looking out at the view, seemingly oblivious to what was going on behind them in the lodge.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Christina glanced around the main room of the cabin before picking up her bag and carrying it into one of the bedrooms. Two small bedrooms, a small bath, and a sitting area with a fireplace and a little kitchenette. Perfect for what would hopefully be a very short stay in Alaska.

"Although I wouldn't mind seeing more of the area," she said to herself.

"What was that?" Quin asked, emerging from his own room. "I thought you were holding out for beaches and palm trees."

Christina shrugged. "Well, I've always wanted to see Alaska. Depending on how this goes, maybe I'll just take a few days since I'm already up here."

"Good luck getting leave while on a case." Quin snorted.

"You never know...maybe this will just wrap up after talking to the good Dr. Cullen."

"Yeah, speaking of the good Dr. Cullen, I heard from Tony and the boys back at headquarters. Everything checked out on him. Seems he and his wife took jobs with Doctors Without Borders shortly after the death of their son and have only just returned to the States."

"Just like he said. Seems an odd choice of vocation for a vampire, Quin."

"Maybe he really is just a boring, run of the mill alien," Quin shot back good-naturedly. "Or maybe he just wasn't aware that he was housing a vampire under his roof all those years. Just because his foster child turned out to be a freak, doesn't mean he is."

"Anything else?" she asked, trying to get her partner back on track and off the supernatural trail.

"Um...two other children, Emmett and Rosalie, recently graduated from...Dartmouth. They flew up here a few weeks ago, presumably to visit their parents. Married two years ago, currently childless. She's an early childhood education major and he's a computer graphics design major. No jobs currently lined up, although apparently he does online work. Same with Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. No current jobs, no sign of them going out for another stint with DWB. Oh, and he wasn't lying about the plane thing, either. Seems their return flight to the States crashed on take-off down in some godforsaken part of Brazil. No one was killed, but their reluctance to fly is apparently well founded. Nothing at all on the other two children, Jasper and Alice."

"So..." Christina said thoughtfully, "it might be safe to think that those two might still be together, wherever they are."

"Not impossible," Quin agreed. "Oh, and this Rosalie and our suspect—Jasper—appear to be twins...which we already knew, based on the good people of Forks. So perhaps she's heard from her brother and just hasn't told her adoptive parents of the contact."

"Maybe. Well, since she is here in Alaska, too, we'll just have to make sure we talk to her as well. Ready to go back to the dining room? I'm starving."

"I hope whatever they're serving isn't fried."

"Me too."

They exited from the cabin and walked back towards the main lodge. As they approached the building, they saw two figures seated on chairs on the large back porch. "Think that's them?" Quin asked quietly.

"I don't know... The hostess said the place was almost booked full. Could be anybody, though she said most people were out for the day, hiking and fishing and such."

They quietly observed the couple as they drew closer to the building, slowing their steps a bit to allow more observation time. If it was Dr. Cullen and his wife, they were a lot younger than what Christina had been expecting. Young, and incredibly good looking.

"Hot," Quin muttered.

"You're not kidding," Christina said, mentally berating herself.

As they reached the steps to the porch, the blond man stood up and approached them, the woman close behind him. "Agent Vlodak? Agent Anderson?" he asked.

Good Lord, his voice, Christina thought. She could imagine him as a doctor. The bedside manner... The man already had the upper hand, making the first move. It was time to take control of the situation.

"Yes," she said, her voice coming out louder than she wanted. She sounded almost...nervous. That wouldn't do. Not at all. "Dr. Cullen? Mrs. Cullen?" She held out her hand. The man had the most unusual colored eyes. Gold. She didn't think she'd ever seen that color before. And his wife... Her eyes were the same. Perhaps some genetic abnormality? Or maybe they'd picked up something in some foreign country that caused it? They were almost hypnotic. Predator's eyes... Christina shivered.

"Indeed," Carlisle said, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake before turning to do the same to Quin. "Good to see you found the place all right, not that there are that many places to make a wrong turn out here."

Christina looked around. "Yes, GPS brought us straight here. Not a problem at all. A bit of a drive, though. Lovely choice for accommodations. Thank you for making them."

Carlisle shrugged. "Well, there aren't that many choices out here, and we're old friends with the owners, you might say."

"Hmm...yes, so the hostess told us. Talkative woman."

Carlisle smiled, and it made him look even more handsome—something Christina would have thought impossible.

"Would you like to talk now, or would you rather get something to eat first?" he asked, his voice relaxing her once again. "The dining room is open now, and we certainly don't mind waiting."

"Why don't we eat, and you can join us. Just to sort of get to know each other. This isn't really meant to be a hostile interrogation. We aren't the IRS after all." Christina had found that people's guards were often let down during eating.

Carlisle chuckled, his eyes flicking to his wife then back to the two agents. "We weren't sure when you'd be arriving, so we went ahead and ate," he said, sounding apologetic. "After camp food for the last couple weeks, I have to say we were both starving, even though Esme can do wonders with a dutch oven."

"Oh. Well..." There went her plan.

"But we were holding off on dessert. Perhaps we could indulge in something, that way you wouldn't feel like we were watching you eat. I find that often makes people nervous, don't you?"

All right. Plan was back on. They entered the dining room together, finding it still empty. "A little early for supper," Carlisle murmured behind her, "but much more private for this, yes?"

Christina didn't respond. Every time he spoke, she felt like she was losing control of the situation. And she was always in control. _Always_.

A waitress appeared at their table after they'd sat down. A younger woman this time, of college age or maybe even high school. Evidently Margie either only worked lunches or her attention was elsewhere at the moment. The girl gave them menus and took their drink orders before disappearing back towards the kitchen area.

"So, Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen...you've just returned from the Amazon? How was your time there?"

"Hot. Humid. Heart breaking," Carlisle said, a slight smile on his face as he stared at Christina.

"The conditions some of those poor people live in is appalling," Esme added. "It's almost as if the few modern conveniences they've incorporated into their lives have actually made things worse for them instead of better." She shook her head. "Quite appalling, actually."

"Oh. Um...yes, I'm sure it is."

"Why don't you just ask us what you've come all this way to ask us, Agent Vlodak," Carlisle said gently, "instead of dressing it up as a social visit. I can assure you that we'll be more than happy to cooperate with you and answer any questions you have to the best of our ability. You don't have to try and trick them out of us."

Christina sat back in her chair, startled. She wasn't used to this. Most people were nervous at the mere idea of talking to an agent, yet here was a couple who knew that their own son—adopted son—was wanted for questioning by the government, was possibly tied to some very violent crimes, and they were just sitting across from her cool as cucumbers, acting as if they were just there to discuss the latest sports scores.

It was creepy.

Maybe, though, they were just as innocent as it appeared they were. Maybe.

It was still creepy, though.

Quin's phone suddenly went off. He glanced at the screen, then excused himself. "Um, sorry... Call from headquarters. I'll be right back."

"Of course," Carlisle said. Christina watched him leave the room, debating what her next move should be.

Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Carlisle leaned over towards his mate and whispered at vampire speed, low enough that even vampire hearing wouldn't pick it up unless that vampire was very very close. "I believe two of our other children have arrived."

"What?" Esme hissed, sitting up straighter and looking around, her nostrils flaring slightly as she tested for scents in the air.

"Jasper and Alice," he mouthed. "I believe they might be hiding in the crawl space..." He glanced down towards the floor, and Esme's gaze followed his. Her eyes narrowed, and Carlisle had no doubt someone was going to be on the receiving end of her parental ire—if she wasn't already sending waves of it towards her empathic son.

"If Jasper is here, where is Bella?" she asked, almost soundlessly. "Surely he wouldn't have left her behind."

Carlisle shook his head. "No, so she must be close behind, if not already here somewhere. And if not...well, we'll all be feeling his distress if she doesn't show up soon. _Not_the mood I was hoping for during this little interview." He sighed. "And when she does show up, she might not be happy to find them in the crawlspace together, no matter what the reasoning is behind it." He sent his own wave of disapproval flowing out, knowing Jasper was sure to pick it up. For good measure, he decided that when he did get a hold of his tiny dark haired daughter, perhaps a spanking would be in order.

An indignant squeak came from the direction of the floor, causing Christina to jump and stare down at her feet. "What was that?" she asked, her voice uncomfortably high, even to her own ears.

"Probably mice," Carlisle said, his pleasant voice and the smile on his face not changing. "Or some other small rodent sneaking around." Only he and Esme could hear the indignant snort that came from below them this time.

"Mice? Great..." Her voice had climbed another octave.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Carlisle said, waving his hand dismissively. "There's all sorts of wild life around. You should probably stay away from the woods, though. Bears tend to be attracted to human habitation up here, and they come closer than they normally would."

"They come to dig through the garbage," Esme added helpfully.

"Or the food Emmett sets out for them," came an almost silent whisper from the floorboards.

"Nice try of deflection, dear," Esme replied, her lips barely moving and her words completely unnoticed by their human companion.

"It's all part of the experience," Carlisle said pleasantly. "I'm sure Margie and Henry have plenty of traps set up."

"It's a never ending struggle," Esme said.

"Ah...oh...okay," Christina said, looking down at the floor doubtfully.

"Have you decided what you're having?" Esme asked politely.

"Um..." Christina stared at her menu, which she hadn't even begun to look at. "No."

"I had the trout. It was divine," Esme said.

"Yes, Esme tucked it right away. Made it disappear like you wouldn't believe. I had the scallops. They really hit the spot for me," Carlisle added helpfully.

"Do you know where your son Jasper currently is? Or your daughter Alice?" Christina asked, desperately trying to regain control of the conversation.

Carlisle looked straight at her, holding her eyes with his own hypnotic gold ones. "Agent Vlodak, I have no idea of their whereabouts at this time. I told you that over the phone earlier. If you came all this way to ask me that again, you have wasted your time and taxpayers' money."

Quin re-entered the room at that point, and it was as if a switch went off in Christina's head. She turned back to Carlisle and Esme, newly determined to do her job and get this over with.

After that, the 'interview', as she preferred to think of it—so much nicer than interrogation—seemed to go off without a hitch, although she could have sworn she heard some sort of giggling coming from the direction of the floor. Mice, she reminded herself. Very large, odd sounding mice. The meal was very good, as Carlisle had said it would be, and the information they got from Dr. and Mrs. Cullen made her feel like she and Quin were actually making progress towards some sort of conclusion in the case.

The Cullens ended up not having dessert after all, both of them begging off, saying the meal they had earlier had been very filling. Things were winding down when Christina mentioned wishing to talk to Rosalie and Emmett.

"Oh, actually, I thought I'd mentioned it already. They are here," Carlisle said, snapping his fingers as if it had just occurred to him.

"We are aware that they are in Alaska," Quin said, "but if it would be possible for us to speak with them..."

"No, I mean, they are _here_, at the lodge. I thought you might be interested in speaking to them, also, so they met us here. Rose is having a bit of an upset stomach, or else they would have joined us for supper," Carlisle said.

Just then a series of loud thumps came from under the floor. Quin and Christina stared downwards in horror. Carlisle sighed and reached up to squeeze the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Problem?" Christina asked solicitously.

"Migraine," Carlisle said. "Sorry, they just come out of nowhere sometimes. Never know when they're going to hit. If you'll excuse me..." he said, standing up abruptly.

The bumps had progressed into muffled, angry squealing noises, causing Christina to instinctively raise her feet off the ground. "Of course," she squeaked out.

"Big mice," Quin said, looking as if he wished he could lift his feet up, too.

"Probably raccoons or something," Esme said quickly, grabbing her purse and standing up, too. "It's, um, mating season...I think. They can get quite territorial. Probably. We'll tell Rose and Emmett...and they'll look you up. This evening maybe." She hastened to follow Carlisle to the door.

Christina quickly followed them, more to get away from the sound of the fighting raccoons than any sort of need to see them out of the dining room. "Of course...have them call us. Is that...?" She stopped to look up on the roof of the building, movement having caught her eye. "What is that man doing up there?"

Carlisle paused in his flight from the building and turned to stare up where she was pointing before sighing again and squeezing the bridge of his nose a little firmer. "The roof...he's working on the roof..." he said, sounding vague. "I believe I remember Margie mentioning a leak... Really, must be going... Sorry about this."

Quin came through the door and watched Carlisle and Esme hurry off down the path towards the cabins hidden in the trees. "He looked upset. Did we hit a nerve with our questions?"

"I don't think so..." Christina said, truly puzzled. "We weren't even really talking anymore. It looked like it really was a headache. Migraines can be a real bitch, or so I've heard."

"Huh. Or maybe he's just afraid of raccoons. Can't say as I blame him, if those noises are any indication. Sounded like one of them just about killed the other one, right after you guys left. I think we ought to mention it to the hosts. They need to check under there, especially if one really is dead. They aren't going to want that stinking up the place." He turned to go back in the building.

"Yeah..." Christina said vaguely, turning to stare up at the man on the roof again. He caught and held her eye, and a shiver went down her spine. He looked vaguely familiar for some reason, but she knew that was impossible. Breaking eye contact, she hurried back into the building after Quin.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"I do _not_ sound like a raccoon in heat, thank you very much!" Alice huffed, plopping herself down on a log and looking sullen.

"Actually, you did. Sort of," Jasper said, trying not to laugh.

"_You _stay out of this!" she snarled at him. "This is all your fault, anyway." She pulled up her pant leg and raised her foot up, angling her head to try and lick at the bite wounds on the back of her calf.

"_My _fault? How do you figure that?" he demanded, trying to speak coherently through Bella, who had her arms and legs wrapped firmly around his torso and wasn't letting anyone get near him.

"_You_ followed me up here. _You_ followed me under the building. If _you _had just left me alone and stayed the hell away from me, Bella wouldn't have misinterpreted everything, and I wouldn't be sitting here leaking venom everywhere and being accused of sounding like an ovulating rodent!" she finished with a shriek.

"I don't think raccoons are rodents," Emmett said.

"If all of you had stayed home like Carlisle told you to, none of this would have happened," Rose said, sounding smug. For once, it wasn't her getting in trouble or nursing bites from Bella.

Bella swung her head around and growled at her, and Rose quickly backed up, hands raised in a placating manner.

"Carlisle didn't _tell us_ tell us. He just said he didn't want us to come. There's a difference," Alice said, sounding defensive.

"You know he didn't want you coming here, any of you," Rose said, her voice harder. "And now you're here, and look what's happened! Fighting, right under their feet! Literally. And the werewolf, you had to bring him with you?"

"Actually, we didn't bring him with us," Jasper said. "He came on his own."

"He didn't come on his own. He showed up here with your mate, Jasper! How fucked up is that?" Rose asked, getting louder now.

"That _is_ pretty messed up, Jasper," Emmett said, nodding his head. "I mean, what the hell are you thinking? You spent _months_ trying to keep her away from werewolves, and then _weeks_ keeping her away from the one we decided to bring home with us, but now they're what? Vacationing together?"

"They didn't come _together_ together," Jasper said defensively. "They just both came here—"

"Nope, they came together," Emmett said. "I saw them. They both climbed out of the same delivery truck, right here in the parking lot of the lodge. Together."

"Well, she was supposed to be _following _me—OUCH!" Jasper said, flinching away from his mate, which was impossible since she now was not only wrapped around his torso but had her teeth sunk into his shoulder. "All right, all right! This is all my fault! Is everybody happy now?" he demanded.

"NO!" they all shouted back except for Bella, who continued to growl quietly and glare at them all in her peripheral vision.

"Here, let me help you, brother," Emmett said, slowly approaching Jasper and Bella. He reached out toward her to attempt to pry her mouth off of Jasper. She only growled louder and bit down harder.

Jasper jumped backwards, firming up his own grip around her waist and bottom, holding her to him tighter. "No, really. It's fine. We're good. Just...leave her alone right now. Where are Carlisle and Esme? I thought they'd be here already, yelling at us and handing out parental type punishments."

Alice whimpered and began rocking back and forth on the log she was sitting on, covering her eyes with her hands. "They are so _mad_," she wailed.

"Oh, pull yourself together! What did you expect to happen?" Rose snapped at her.

"They came back to the cabin," Emmett said. "Carlisle said he had a migraine, and he told us to get out. He told us to come out here to this clearing and that we'd know why when we got here. Well, like I said, we saw the delivery van deliver Bella and Mstislav, so we'd already sort of had an idea what was coming. Speaking of, where is our four-legged friend?" He looked around the small clearing, as if expecting Mstislav to suddenly appear in their midst.

"Mstislav was on the roof," Alice said, not looking up at them. "And vampires don't get migraines."

"Jesus Christ!" Rosalie shouted, throwing up her hands. "He's probably getting ready to steal that woman away right in front of everybody! Why are we just standing around here doing nothing?"

"What do you want us to do, Rose?" Jasper asked, shifting one arm so that he could stroke Bella's hair. Her shield was up, so relaxing her that way was not an option. He really wanted her to let go. His shoulder was starting to burn like a son of bitch, and it was making him cranky, which in turn was making them all cranky. _More_ cranky. "We couldn't exactly go up there and grab him without making a scene. Carlisle told the humans that Mstislav was fixing the roof."

"Oh, like they'd buy _that_ one," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"If Carlisle said it, they probably did," Emmett said thoughtfully. "You know how he is. Remember that dude at the burned out warehouse in Anchorage, back when Jasper and Bella were running around Siberia? Humans just eat shit up when he talks to them. He's like the Human Whisperer or something. And I think if any vampire was a candidate to have a migraine, Carlisle would be it." Emmett shook his head. "I mean, can you imagine being in his shoes right now? The great thing about it is, for once _none_ of this is _my_ fault."

"Alice," Jasper said, causing Bella to growl again. Jasper rolled his eyes but continued. "What do you see happening if we all just leave right now, before Carlisle and Esme come out?"

"I don't see anything...because of the werewolf!" Alice hissed at him.

"Okay, so we leave the werewolf behind. See anything now?"

"You are _not_ leaving that thing here for us to deal with," Rose hissed. "Some of us have more than enough to worry about without having to deal with inter-species mating rituals that may or may not be about to take place. Emmett and I are going to be interviewed by the FB-fucking-I tonight, Jasper, about _you_, my wonderful, man-eating _twin brother_!"

Jasper ignored her. "Alice?"

"If we leave now, and I mean in the next few minutes, I see us making it home. It's only putting off the inevitable, though," she warned.

"I don't care," Jasper said. "I want to at least be able to meet Carlisle and Esme when I'm a little less, uh..."

"Encumbered?" Emmett offered helpfully.

"Yeah."

Bella was slowly relaxing in Jasper's arms. She'd released his shoulder, and her growling had stopped, though that might have been more due to the fact that the rest of them had stopped moving more than anything else. It was progress. At least he'd be able to run easier now, without her teeth in his shoulder.

"We need to leave now. And don't take the same path as me, Jasper," Alice warned. "Stay far, far, _far_ away from me!" Alice took off and was gone in a flash, Jasper close behind her, with Bella still wrapped around him, trying to make it obvious to his passenger that they were taking a much different direction than the smaller vampire.

"Cowards!" Rose yelled after them. They could hear Emmett's laughter for a long, long time.


	14. Chapter 14

**Things I'm not sure about: **The likelihood of Emmett's success in a Real World situation.

**Things I know NOTHING about:**What Carlisle could possibly have said to Alice. Please refer to a similar scene in "Running" with Rosalie. Some things are just better left as a Great Mystery.

**Chapter 14**

"I'm sorry, did you say you're staying up here?" Quin asked, sounding shocked. "But...we've been recalled to D.C.!"

Christina paused in her packing to look up at him. "Yes, yes I did say that. I called headquarters and got two weeks leave. I figure I'm already up here, I might as well take a look around the great Alaskan Wilderness." She went back to arranging things in her suitcase.

"I don't understand..."

"What is there to understand, Quin?" she said, stopping again and glaring at him. "We established that Dr. Cullen and his family do not know the whereabouts of Jasper Hale. We have received word from higher up that this whole investigation has been put on hold due to a lack of real evidence and funding, so we've been recalled to the home office. The fact that they gave me vacation time without a second thought should tell you just how over, done, closed this case is."

"Man, I can't believe they've done this to us," Quin said, dropping onto the bed. "I mean, it's not closed at all! We haven't found the killer. You should call them back. Maybe the email was sent by mistake."

"No, we haven't found the killer. Or killers. And we probably never will. And neither will Mexico. If you remember, the only murders he's been officially tied to are _over the border_. It's been fun, but it's over. And I need a vacation. And I'm not calling anybody. If they change their minds, or if it turns out to be a mistake, you can tell me AFTER my vacation."

"I'm telling you, there is something really weird going on here," Quin insisted. "I can't believe you're just giving up like this."

"Oh, for the love of all that is holy, Quin, will you give it up?" she almost shouted at him. "There is _nothing_ odd going on here. I need a vacation from _you_ is what I really need a vacation from. You have _me_ seeing little green men around every corner! I mean, you almost had me thinking the poor guy working on the _roof_ was suspicious, for God's sake! And the most _he's_probably guilty of is being an illegal alien!"

"_What are you doing up there?" she asked, hoping her voice was loud enough to carry up to him but not so loud as to alert her partner that she was conversing with anyone._

_The man looked down at her, then slid down the roof so he was sitting on the edge. She was instantly captivated by his eyes. Bedroom eyes, her mother would have called them. She would have expected them to be brown, with his coloring, but they were green. Not a bright green, but more of a forest green. She thought they looked perfect with his black hair and olive coloring._

"_It is leaking, and I am fixing it," he said._

_An accent. Russian, from the sound of things. Well, what did she care? She spoke Russian. It wasn't an obstacle. Then she mentally slapped herself. What the hell was she thinking?_

"_Oh," she said. Great, brilliant response, Christina! she thought, mentally slapping herself again. "Well, I'll, um...let you get back to it..." She walked away, glancing back to find him still sitting there, watching her._

_Quin appeared on the path. "Who were you talking to?" he asked._

"_The roofer," she said._

"_Who?"_

"_The roofer. The guy on the roof..." She looked back to find the roof empty. "Oh, never mind..."_

"_You know, I asked Margie about that guy earlier. She had no idea who he was and said their roof wasn't leaking. When she went out to see who I meant, he wasn't there. Just like now... Kind of strange, don't you think?"_

She shook her head, coming back to the present and hoping her partner hadn't noticed the lengthy pause. "And we're not the INS, so just leave it! Dr. Cullen and his family are not vampires, they are not aliens, they are not zombies, they are not werewolves, they are not pink unicorns! The man had a _migraine_! Vampires do not get migraines! And as far as the guy on the roof is concerned...I don't know, and I don't care what he was up to!" Although, if she was honest with herself, she really wouldn't mind seeing those eyes again.

"Dr. Cullen could have been acting, to fool us."

"You can't pretend that level of pain, believe me," Christina said, remembering the look on the blond doctor's face as he fled the dining room their first night here. "The man was in pain. And Margie saw him vomiting in the bushes the next morning, after we ate breakfast with them. Vampires do not vomit, either, last I checked, let alone eat breakfast. He was _sick_. And I can imagine why! It can't be easy finding out that one of your children has been engaged in some pretty sick activities that involved the gruesome deaths of several people. He put on a good show of being calm for the most part, but I'm sure he was upset. His wife didn't even bother hiding how upset _she_was. And don't even get me started on Jasper Hale's sister. That Rosalie woman – if I was Jasper Hale, I'd be afraid to come back to this country just out of fear of running in to HER. She didn't seem at all surprised that her brother would do something like that, even if she denied knowing anything about it.. Though her husband seemed just as certain that Jasper was innocent."

"What about their age? Dr. Cullen sure didn't look like he was closing in on forty!"

"Oh, so now you've been reduced to jealousy over someone else's luck in the genetic draw? Give me a break, Quin. And don't forget, _all_ of our interactions took place with them in the _daytime_. No going up in flames, no little piles of dust... Heartbroken parents maybe, but not vampires."

Quin shook his head. "I don't know what's come over you, Chris. You're not acting like yourself at all. Maybe you're right, maybe you _do_need a vacation. Do you want me to come with you?"

Christina sighed. "No, Quin, I do not. The point of a vacation is to get _away_ from everything, including one's partner. Look, I'm sorry I'm snappish. I don't know what my problem is, either, but I really, really, really just want to get away from everything for a while. Look, you take the car back with you. I've already contacted an outfitter nearby. They'll come collect me here at the lodge, and when I'm done, they'll drive me—or fly me—back to Fairbanks. I've got two weeks of hiking, rafting, fishing, and camping scheduled, all designed to make me forget about _everything_. Two weeks. That's all I'm asking for."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"Is everybody here?" Carlisle asked Emmett, who had walked back to the vehicle after checking the cabin. He'd remained in the truck when they got home, instructing Emmett to gather everyone together in the main cabin.

"Yep. Everybody is in there, just waiting for you. Esme says don't come in, though, until you can do this without breaking any furniture. 'Cause we barely have any to begin with. Oh, and try not to make eye contact with Bella. Jasper says it'll just set her off again, and Jasper just now got her teeth out of him from when Alice got home. He also says his shoulders are having a problem healing right, and maybe you could take a look? If she'll let you get close enough, that is."

Carlisle resisted the urge to pound his head against the steering wheel.

"You all right?" Emmett asked, concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. I feel like I've got a migraine, but since that is impossible, I am fine," Carlisle said around clenched teeth. "Go back in there and tell Jasper to wait for me in the bedroom. I'll deal with him and Bella first, then the rest of them."

"Okie dokie," Emmett said, sounding cheerful. He was still riding high on the fact that he was not, for once, the source of Carlisle's frustration or anger. In fact, he was feeling fairly confident that he was coming out of this family meeting completely blame free. If he could just manage to keep his mouth shut. Nope, he was definitely enjoying his moment in the sun, as it were.

"_So that's it?" Carlisle asked, sounding surprised._

"_That's it. Probably..." Emmett hastened to add. "I mean, I'm gonna have to keep monitoring things, you know. But getting access to their laptops made all the difference. It allowed me to get right up in there in the Home Office systems. Downgraded this whole thing. It's almost like Jasper's case never existed. They should be getting a call from D.C. any time now, re-calling them." He sounded pretty proud of himself, and rightfully so. "Man, the things I could do now with access like that..."_

"_Don't even think about it," Carlisle said, warningly._

"_Oh, I won't, I won't!" Emmett said. "But still, it gives us more options for any future trouble we might run across. Oh, and Rose placed more tracing stuff on everything they own that has wireless capability. We'll be able to really keep an eye on those two now. You're lucky you brought us."_

"_Luck had nothing to do with it, Emmett," Carlisle said. "I had faith in you two."_

"_So...are Jasper and Alice and Bella really in big trouble?" Emmett asked, sounding a little too eager._

"_Do not push _your _luck, son! And that's none of your business. Right now, just concentrate on not screwing up your interview with the FBI tonight. Just...let Rose lead, okay?"_

"_Right, right. Sorry."_

Taking a deep and unnecessary breath, Carlisle exited the truck and headed to the cabin. The ride home from Tok had been a silent one. Carlisle may not have been mad at Esme, Rose, _or_Emmett, but he still wasn't feeling in a friendly mood. It had grown even more silent and tense after they slowed down on the highway to pick up Mstislav, who'd appeared on the side of the road about 15 miles south of town as they were leaving. He'd climbed into the bed of the truck, not even bothering to try getting in the cab. Carlisle had spent several miles glaring at him in the rear view mirror, but the werewolf hadn't even had the decency to make eye contact.

Once inside the cabin, Carlisle ignored everyone gathered in the living room and headed straight for the closed door of the bedroom, opening and closing it quietly behind him. He took in the sight before him. Jasper was standing in the far corner, holding Bella. His shirt was torn and soaked with venom on both shoulders, his black eyes showing a desperate need to feed. She, for her part, had her arms and legs wrapped firmly around his torso, and her head was turned towards Carlisle, black eyes glaring at him. A soft growl was rumbling in her chest.

"How long has she been like this?" he asked quietly, causing her to growl louder.

"Since I pulled her and Alice out from under the place in Tok," Jasper whispered. "Her shield is up, and she won't talk to me."

"No, I imagine she won't," Carlisle said kindly. "Have you hunted at all?"

Jasper's eyes dropped to the girl in his arms, then back to Carlisle. "No. Kinda hard to like this."

"Yes, I can see where it might be a problem. All right, I'm coming over there." His voice was matter-of-fact and brooked no nonsense. He slowly approached the pair in the corner.

Bella's growling got louder the closer he came, but he did not stop his approach. Soon he was right next to them, within easy touching distance, but he didn't make a move to do so.

"She's not biting you now," he observed quietly.

"No, sir," Jasper said. "Only when Alice is nearby." This was said with a wince.

"She's punishing you."

"Um, yes. It would appear so."

"You probably deserve it," Carlisle said, amusement in his voice. "I don't know what you were thinking, Jasper. You should have known better. She's indicated over and over since you came back that she has issues with Alice being close to you. Even if she's been able control herself, and even get on well with Alice, it's been clear that she doesn't want you near her."

"Yes, well, I thought—"

"Incorrectly, obviously," Carlisle interrupted. "I expect it won't happen any more, right?"

"Yes, sir," Jasper whispered.

"And you, young lady," Carlisle said, dropping his gaze to Bella, "you need to let go of Jasper."

Bella's growls rose in volume.

"Do _not_ growl at me!" Carlisle said sharply. "I understand you are stressed and feel the need to warn everybody off, but nobody here is going to steal your mate. Certainly not me, and I am the only one in the room. You need to let go of him. He's hurting, Bella, and I need to take a look at him. See? Look at his shoulders. Jasper's in pain. Just hop down... You don't even need to let him go, just hop down and let me look at his shoulders."

Bella's growling died down and she turned, cocking her head slightly as she looked carefully at Jasper's leaking shoulders. Slowly her legs released their grip, and she slid down until she was standing on the floor. Her arms loosened their hold on his torso but did not let go of him entirely.

"Good girl," Carlisle said, placing one hand gently on her head. "Now, can I look at Jasper's wounds a little closer? I'm just going to pull the shirt aside, all right?"

She didn't reply, but neither did she growl when Carlisle moved closer still, reaching out and tearing the remains of Jasper's shirt away from his neck. His exposed shoulders were a mess, and didn't appear to be healing at all, no doubt from the repeated bites.

"Tsk. Look at this, Bella," he said quietly. "Look what you've done here. It's a bit more than he deserved, don't you think?"

Bella whimpered a little.

"Well, no matter now. I'm sure you won't do it again, will you? You were just upset with him. I understand... _Everyone _understands. Jasper doesn't think things through sometimes, does he? But look, you can help now, yes? Let me clean him up a bit here..." Carlisle ripped the shirt a little more, using the piece he tore off to wipe off the excess venom away from the skin. "Look, he'll heal a lot quicker if you help. He can't reach those himself, so he needs you to help him. Can you help him now?"

Bella looked up at Jasper and then at Carlisle before looking back at the marks she'd left on his shoulders. "Remember, Bella?" Jasper whispered. "Remember in Siberia how you sealed those bites? I can't reach them, Bella, and I really don't want Carlisle licking them for me..."

Bella stood up on her toes, and Jasper crouched down a bit so she could reach him easily. She began licking his wounds, and soon enough she was purring.

"There..." Carlisle said quietly, watching her fondly. "She's going to be fine."

"Uh...are you going to chew me out now?" Jasper asked.

"No, I really don't think I am. I'm certain you're aware of just how big of a mess things almost became because nobody listened to me. I didn't _order_any of you to stay here because I didn't think it was necessary. I certainly won't make that mistake again any time soon." His tone was pleasant, even if his words and the message behind them were not. "And as for punishment, well, I suppose if you want to truly challenge me for leadership of this coven, which is how most people would have interpreted your recent actions...well, then we can certainly take it outside and see what happens. Hell, the way I'm feeling right now, I may just be inclined to hand it over to you without a fight." Carlisle watched as Jasper's bites began to seal properly with Bella's attentions, and as she moved to the other shoulder he reached in once more to wipe the remaining venom off of the now-sealed wounds.

Jasper looked at the ground. "No. No, I don't want it. I wasn't challenging you, I was just... I endangered all of us. I allowed my mate to fall into a dangerous situation with a possible enemy because I left her alone. I...I know everything I did, and I accept responsibility for all of it."

"Oh, you don't have to accept _all_ the responsibility, Jasper! Your sister out there is responsible for her fair share of this mess. Now, why don't you take Bella and go for a nice long hunt, hmm? Take her to the hot springs up on Mt. Sanford. Take a few days, even. I wish I could allow you longer, but your new friend is going to be in need of our assistance in seven days, and I'd like all of us to be here for that since we don't really know what to expect."

"Yes, that is just what we need. Thank you, Carlisle. We'll be back...in five days, but what will you do if you need us sooner?"

"I have a flare gun, Jasper. I'll use it if we need you back sooner. We'll shoot it off further downstream so it isn't traced back to us here, so don't be fooled by its point of origin. But let's hope I don't need to use it at all. For now, we can safely consider your little problem with the FBI as all but over. You can talk to Emmett and thank him for that later. My first concern at the moment is Bella. Running a distant second is the werewolf in the kitchen. So go, and try to get her to relax, but make sure you come back."

Carlisle watched as Jasper picked Bella back up—she never had completely released him with her arms—and made a hasty exit through the door in the bedroom that led to the outside. When they'd safely disappeared into the trees, he turned and headed back to the door that led into the cabin's main room.

"Alice? Would you and Esme care to join me for a moment?"

~AM`AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Jasper was frustrated. Hell, he was beyond frustrated. Bella refused to let go of him, and repeated attempts at hunting, both now and earlier on their return trip from Tok, had proved how impossible it was for a vampire to hunt with someone attached to their torso like some sort of barnacle. He couldn't be frustrated at her—all of this stemmed from _his_ actions—but still, he was frustrated. And really, really thirsty.

It was late in the day—or, more accurately, the twilight that was the Arctic night at this time of year—before he was finally able to coax her into at least scooting around so she was on his back instead. As she did so, her shield slipped a bit, and he caught a hint of amusement.

His eyes narrowed. Her shield never just "slipped" by accident. Not any more.

She was fucking with him. She wasn't before—he knew what a vampire running on pure instinct looked and felt like, and Bella could be the poster child for it—but now..._this_ was deliberate. She was fucking with him! Well, alrighty, then. That was communication of a sort, wasn't it?

Once she was on his back, he was able to hunt. It wasn't too long before he came upon a large bull moose. It was something he would normally have avoided, for the blood in these older males always tasted a bit strong to him, but it had volume, and that was what they both needed at the moment. Assuming Bella agreed to feed, of course. Her shield had been up for quite some time, though, and he knew she'd have to feed. She may be fucking with him, but he had a feeling the smell of fresh blood would override that.

The moose, half asleep with it's head hanging down, never knew what hit it. It went down with very little struggle, Jasper snapping its neck with a vicious twist that was almost enough to dislodge Bella from his back. He immediately latched on to its neck and gulped down mouthfuls of blood. After a few seconds, he felt Bella slide off his back, and he fought back a grin. He knew the smell of blood would bring her around.

A second later he found himself on his ass, several feet away from the moose. Acting as if nothing had happened, Bella was calmly crouched over the moose, already well along in the process of draining it. He got up and carefully approached her, but when he was within a couple feet of her she began growling.

So, it was going to be like that, he thought, sitting back down and waiting for her to finish. When she did, she turned to him and looked him up and down for a moment before announcing, "I think I'd like a predator next, please. This didn't taste very good at all."

Jasper groaned. It was looking like it might be a very long five days. Guarding a werewolf might actually be a walk in the park after this.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Christina took a deep breath, and the combination of cold air and altitude made her cough.

"You all right there?" her guide asked.

"Yeah," she choked out. "Fine. I'm fine."

"It can take a little getting used to," the man said, "but you gotta admit, the view makes it all worth it."

Christina did have to admit that. The float plane was tied up on the banks of a mountain lake, approximately a thousand feet below the saddle they had just finished hiking up to. From here, it looked like a toy. Behind the lake, more snow covered mountains seemed to go on forever, their ice fields and glaciers glinting in the sun. On the other side of the pass, the park spread out below them, and forests, lakes, and rivers seemed to go on forever. She knew it was not nearly as empty as it looked, but as far as she was concerned, it was empty enough.

"You sure you want to be doing this?" the guide asked, concern in his voice.

"Definitely sure," she said, adjusting the pack on her back. "I'm looking for complete solitude."

"Well, you definitely came to the right place. All right, I'll take you down to where the hot springs are. Just follow me. The path isn't marked very well."

Christina nodded without saying anything. She thought she was in good shape. Continuous training was part of her job. Now, though, she was winded—winded and dreading the hike down. She thought going downhill might be almost harder than the climb up had been. The path, or lack thereof, followed the slope of the mountain laterally for a while, and after about a half mile they paused at another overlook. This one gave a view of a glacier stretching off to the west, flowing out of the mountains like a frozen river.

"Copper Glacier," the guide said. "The origination point for the Copper River, the one we'll be rafting down later on in your trip."

Christina nodded without speaking. Pulling out her binoculars, she scanned the ice field. One of the trip options was to land on a different field further east for a glacier hike. She didn't know how she felt about that. It didn't sound very safe. Movement on the edge of her field of vision caught her attention, and she turned the glasses that way. She could make out two figures playing on the edge of the glacier, near where it met the slope of the mountain. From this distance she couldn't tell what they were, but they looked definitely bi-pedal, just based on the way they were moving. Bears, maybe, she thought at first as she watched. But what would bears be doing on a glacier? And did bears even play like that? She realized she had no idea. Looking again, she thought they might actually look more like people, which was even more unlikely than the bear theory. People did not run, jump, and roll down an ice field like that. Suddenly the sun came out from the clouds, and she was almost blinded by the sudden reflective glare from the ice. She was forced to look away from the glacier for a moment, but when she looked back the figures were gone.

_Sparkling_ bears. Must be the altitude, she thought, shaking her head.

"See anything interesting?" the guide asked, watching her curiously.

"Thought I saw a bear..."

He nodded. "Wouldn't surprise me. They rarely come above the tree line, but you can't count on that. You've got your gun, though, and you know how to use it. You should be all right."

Yeah. Right. Suddenly, spending ten days by herself in the wilds of Alaska wasn't looking so attractive.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Lead on."

She started after him, then paused again when she thought she heard a far off scream. Looking around, she finally shrugged it off and followed him down the slope, the path zigzagging back and forth until they reached the treeline. The first trees were barely waist high, not really deserving the name. The trail dropped quickly in altitude, though, and soon they were once again in a forest. The path travelled next to a small stream that wound between trees and rocks, numerous little waterfalls indicating the fact that they were still descending.

"Only about half a mile now," the guide said. "It's really only about three miles back up and over the pass to the lake, even though it probably feels like more."

"More like twenty," Christina muttered.

"We really don't like leaving people out here like this," he said, for what had to be the tenth time since she'd signed up for the trip.

"But you will."

"But we will. I just want to make sure it's what you really, really want."

"I can't be the first person that's asked for this particular service."

"No, you're not, and you're one of the few we've been willing to do it for. Just...remember, the battery on that satellite phone is only good for three days, so leave it off unless you need to call in for a pick-up. If something _does_ happen and you need to call us, it will take us at _least_ an hour to get up here. More likely two or three."

Christina smiled. They'd been through all this already, more than once. "I really have no intention of leaving the immediate area around the springs. I'm not much of a hiker. I'm just looking for solitude."

"Yeah, that's what everybody says. So...when day three rolls around, and you realize that complete solitude isn't what you thought it would be, just give us a call and we'll come pick you up."

Christina nodded and smiled politely. She had no intention of calling anybody.

The hot springs turned out to be in a small grotto, a series of small pools that tumbled into one another, each one progressively cooler. None of them were larger than a large hot tub, and some of them would barely fit one person. It was private, and it was perfect.

"There's a little cabin back up this path. It's not much, but it'll keep the weather off of you," the guide said, pulling Christina's attention away from the pools. "No fires allowed inside, but you're welcome to sleep in it. There's a fire pit here. Make sure you keep all your food up in this cache here..." He indicated an empty bag hanging high in a tree, accessible via a rope and pulley system. "I don't think you'll be running into anybody else. It's quite a hike to get there from any direction but up here, and you're our only customer this week. If someone does show up, though...well, it's technically first-come, first serve with the cabin. But it's also good etiquette to share. I'll get you set up and then take off. I'll be back in ten days to get you, as per your contract."

"Sounds lovely," Christina said. She shed her backpack and put it up on the raised porch of the little cabin. "Why is the cabin so high off the ground?"

"Oh, it sees some use as a way-cabin for cross country skiers during the winter as well as hikers during the summer. The hot springs are always open, no matter the season." He shed his own pack and put it next to hers. His consisted mainly of food supplies for her, with only a smaller pack on the back carrying his own supplies, not that he'd need much since he was returning to the plane and the waiting pilot almost immediately.

Returning down the path to the springs, he showed her the immediate area and went over a map of a nearby trail with her. "There's a cold spring over the hill, here..." he said, pointing on the map. "No matter how tempting it is, make sure you filter the water first. You don't want to spend your whole ten days squatting in the woods with diarrhea."

Christina nodded, indicating she understood. That was, indeed, the last thing she wanted to do, especially since there was only a limited amount of toilet paper in the backpack. She happened to glance down at the path leading to the first—and hottest—spring in the series, and she froze.

There was a foot print in the dirt. A bare, human footprint. Her mind went instantly to the two figures playing on the glacier she'd seen earlier and just as quickly dismissed them.

"What is it?" the guide asked, coming to stand beside her. He looked down. "Huh. Somebody must have been here recently. We better check, make sure they're not dead in the water. You don't want to spend too much time, if any, in that pool, at least not in the summer. It's way too hot for people." They went to the edge of the pool but saw no more footprints. They didn't see any floating bodies either. "Well, it doesn't look as if they're here now. No sign of them at the cabin either. You sure you're all right being left here alone?"

Christina's hand went to the gun in her holster, and she thought about the rifle strapped to her pack at the cabin. "Yeah. I'm fine. No worries. Bears don't scare me...much. And the kind of people that scare me, well, they're hardly the type to come hiking all the way out here, right?"

The guide laughed. "Yeah, I suppose so. We have our share of crazies, but they're of the harmless variety. Well, if you're sure about this, I'm gonna take off."

"I'm sure. Thank you so much for bringing me out here."

"My pleasure, Ms. Vlodak. Remember to call if you want to leave any earlier than ten days."

"I'll remember."

Christina watched him disappear back up the trail, waving at him when he turned one last time to check on her.

"Finally!" she said with a sigh, sitting down on a rock. "A little peace and quiet."


	15. Chapter 15

**Things I'm not real sure about:** The ability to see a flare that's been fired 60 miles away, even if you _are_a vampire. Just go with it.

**Chapter 15**

"So, everything cool between you and Bella?" Emmett asked Jasper.

Jasper looked up into a nearby tree, where Bella was currently perched on a branch with Rosalie. "Yeah. We're cool. I think she's been hanging out with Rose too much, though."

"That bad, huh?" Emmett said.

"Yeah. But it's all good. I deserved all of it."

"So...how much grovelling did you have to do?"

"A _lot_," Jasper grimaced. "It was never like this with Alice."

"Alice never let you do anything stupid. She'd see it coming and stop you before you started. You have a lot more freedom to fuck up, now that you're with Bella."

"Great," Jasper muttered.

"Personal responsibility, my man. Embrace the concept or suffer the consequences. So...details?" Emmett whispered. "Did you even get any while you were gone?"

"Jesus, Emmett, do you really think it's any your business?"

Emmett shrugged. "Not really. Just curious, you know?"

"Well..." Jasper glanced up at the two women, who were just as carefully _not_ looking at the men. He could feel the curiosity rolling off of them, but he also had the feeling they were trying their best to not listen in. "At first she wouldn't speak to me at all..."

Emmett nodded sympathetically.

"Then...nothing I brought her to drink was good enough."

"Yeah, that's definitely a Rosie move right there."

"Then before I could get _myself_ something to drink, she takes off through the forest! And I don't know if something's spooked her, or if she's hunting on her own, or what the hell is going on, because she still has her shield up...so I have to take off after her. Then she drops out of a tree on me and throws me into a boulder. And I can't fight back, you know?" Jasper sighed—a sigh that was echoed by Emmett.

"I know, man, I know. You just have to take it. They really don't like wrestling, not when they're in _that_ kind of a mood. Don't even try, man. It's not pretty, I'm telling you."

"Yeah, I knew enough from watching _you_ through the years to know to just kinda take it. Emmett, I want to apologize."

"For what?" Emmett asked, puzzled.

"For all those times I accused you of being whipped."

Emmett laughed. "No problem, man. Hell, we could form a club and get t-shirts."

"So, yeah, it went about like that for the first day, but by morning we were at the hot springs. You know the ones...the nice ones with the _really _hot pools on the north slope and that little cabin thing the humans built?"

Emmett nodded. "Yeah. Rose and I have been there. Carlisle doesn't know it, but we snuck over here a couple times when we were living over in Denali back in the 70s. There wasn't a cabin back then though."

Jasper laughed. "Yeah, so did Alice and I. You don't really think Carlisle was fooled, do you?"

"No, I guess not. Anyway, so how did it go?"

"Well, she really likes hot springs. I mean, who doesn't? And those first couple pools are so damn hot, it feels great. So we get in the water, and pretty soon she's talking to me, if you can call installing me a new lower orifice 'talking'... Anyway, after a couple hours of that, she seemed to be feeling better—right about the time I _really_ felt like absolute shit. Then she got all apologetic and started loving on me...and yeah, life is good, Emmett."

Emmett nodded. "Yes, it is. Did you guys go up on the glaciers?"

Jasper laughed. "Yeah, we did. Man, you should have seen it, Emmett! She wanted to slide down all the freakin' way. I tried to talk her out of it, but no luck there. So we did. Talk about catching air! I think she shot off the end of the damn thing going about 80 miles an hour. She put a hell of a hole in the side of the mountain when she hit it."

"What about you?"

"Oh, I was the epitome of form and grace. I hit the ground running, and it was all good. I had to dig her out, though. She was _not_ amused...at first. Then she wanted to do it all over again. But I was picking up on some human emotions in the area, so we left. Went on to those other hot springs further south, on the west slope. Not nearly as hot, but the pool is a lot bigger."

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, I know which ones you mean. Hey, did Carlisle tell you? That FBI chick is over there right now."

"Over where?" Jasper asked.

"Over there in the park somewhere, near where you and Bella were if you were near those first hot springs. We thought we'd have to send up a flare to get you back here, but Alice saw you leaving the area in time."

"What the hell is she doing in the park?" Jasper asked. "Jesus, I'm glad we didn't run into her. _That_ would have been more than a little awkward." Jasper smirked, thinking of the general state of undress that had accompanied most of their little mini-vacation.

"I don't know. When the little tracer we put on her phone lit up right in our backyard, so to speak, I checked it out. Seems like she's taking a vacation, based on her communications with her higher-ups."

"A vacation. Doesn't that seem a little odd to you?"

Emmett shrugged. "I don't know... I think it's a great spot for a vacation. Lots of humans do, too."

"Hmph! Still seems a bit odd. Does, uh, Mstislav know?"

Emmett shrugged again. "We don't think so. We sure as hell haven't told him. He's been busy with the last minute touches, getting ready for the big event, but then yesterday he just took off. Said he needed to go running, to burn off as much energy as possible before we chain him up. Said it helps keep him calmer. To be honest, Carlisle is more than a little stressed, and he's worried that he might have sensed her out there...like _our_ pull, you know? And being so close to his change might have triggered some sort of response. I don't know... All I know is Carlisle will feel a lot better when the guy's back here and chained to the post there. You didn't run across him, did you?"

Jasper shook his head. "No. Didn't cross his path at all. But that means nothing. It's a big park. We didn't even get close to any humans, though I could sense them occasionally. Bella had a great time once she...you know, calmed down. We're gonna go again after this week is over."

"What about helping your buddy with his love life? You promised him."

"Oh, yeah. That. Well...yeah, I'll figure something out. So, that's the post there? In that lean-to?" Jasper waved his hand towards a little hut that stood back in the trees behind Mstislav's cabin.

"Yep. Esme suggested the hut. She didn't like the thought of him being chained out in the bad weather." Emmett snorted. "Rose told her that Bob Barker probably wouldn't care, but Esme actually slapped her when she said it. Carlisle's gonna hunt tonight and bring back a moose carcass to throw in there. Evidently things will go smoother if he's tired _and_has a moose or something to gnaw on."

"Great. Like _that _won't smell after five days."

"Jasper, the _whole_ place is going to smell after five days. Hell, it's gonna smell after the first couple hours. Carlisle is seriously worried that the stench alone will trigger a response in us and we'll kill him before we realize we're doing it. Speaking of, what are you going to do with Bella? How is she handling this?"

"She's not happy. At all. She didn't want to come back here...but she understood why I had to be here. What is Rose gonna do?"

"Well...Carlisle was hoping to convince all the women to go back to our house for the duration. You can imagine how well _that_ went over. Peter and Charlotte have already taken off for Anchorage. I guess _his_ friendship and loyalty does know some bounds, and Werewolf Watch definitely crosses the line. He said to tell you he'd see you next week, _if_ you're still alive. Has a lot of faith in us, your friend Peter does. So, anyway, I guess the women are going to wait up in the main cabin, in case they're needed, according to Esme. I think it's finally starting to sink in to Carlisle that we have a potentially dangerous situation here."

Jasper snorted. "I don't think it's going to be that bad. Even if something _does_ go wrong, we can still take him down without a problem. If that happens, though, you and I are _never_ going to hear the end of it." He was silent for a moment, considering things. Finally, though, he nodded and said, "I'm sure Bella will just stay at the cabin. She should be all right with that."

"You really think that's going to happen?" Emmett asked. "I mean, her...Alice...small space..."

Jasper shook his head. "No, really. She says she's fine. It was just finding me and Alice in the crawl space that set her off. It didn't help that Alice's scent was on me. Her instincts just get the better of her still. You remember how it was when you were young, don't you?"

Emmett nodded. He remembered. He remembered spending a lot of time growling and snapping at Edward and Carlisle whenever they came too near Rosalie. "Yeah, I remember all right. Good times..._not_. I swear, Carlisle and Esme have the patience of saints. Alice better hope she finds someone who's already a vamp. I'm not sure Carlisle is _ever _going to be willing to turn another human."

Jasper nodded. He didn't want to think about the day when Alice found another mate. Hypocrisy was alive and well in Jasper's world, and he was more than aware of the fact. He also wasn't about to admit it to anybody.

Carlisle appeared at their side. "Any sign of Mstislav?" he asked.

"Nope, not yet. Feel anything, Jasper?"

Jasper shook his head. "Not yet. The full moon's not until tomorrow night, though. I wouldn't start panicking yet."

"Yeah, lets not panic. Just because we've got a werewolf on the loose in a national park—the same national park that is currently housing his mate, somewhere out there," Emmett said, pointing towards the river.

Rose and Bella jumped down from their tree and crossed over to the men. "We're going back up to the cabin," Rose said. "We don't want to be here to see this. I have no need to, and Bella's seen enough werewolves to last an eternity. You three better keep a lid on this shit, assuming he even shows up."

At that moment, all five heads swung towards the east as the sound of someone approaching hit them. Rose grabbed Bella's hand and they hastened back towards the cabin, but not before they heard Mstislav splashing across the river.

"Show time," Rose muttered. "You wanna stick around and listen? We don't have to go all the way back up to the house..."

Curiosity warred with fear in Bella. Curiosity finally won out, though. "Let's listen...just for a bit. I mean, he's not changing any time soon, right?"

"Carlisle doesn't think it'll happen until tomorrow. They're going to chain him up in the morning, just to be safe, so we should be perfectly safe for right now." They slipped back up in a tree about halfway up the path to the main cabin and trained their senses back on the gathering at Mstislav's cabin.

"Did you have a nice run?" Carlisle asked, his voice pleasant.

"Oh, yes," Mstislav said. "I find that the few days leading up to the change are most gratifying, as a man. The speed, the strength, are all so much more than normal...but the brain is still, for the most part, perfectly clear. At least at my age. To be able to indulge in it, without fear of humans seeing me, is quite nice. The few months I spent in Moscow recently were quite trying, I'm afraid. There was no way to enjoy anything like this while I was there. This, though, is much like the area of Siberia where I've been living for so long now."

"Well, I'm glad it went well for you. I'm also glad you decided to return to us."

"Did you have any doubts?" Mstislav sounded amused.

"I had plenty of doubts. You are still a very unknown equation to us, Mstislav. And after showing up unexpectedly in Tok, well, I find myself unable to really trust your actions."

"Well, I'm here now," Mstislav said, not sounding offended by Carlisle's words at all. "I'd like to spend one last night sleeping in a bed, if that is all right with you, and then tomorrow morning—"

"Yes, that is fine," Carlisle said. "Tomorrow morning it is. We'll bring a moose back tonight and leave it in the shed. I'm afraid none of us are willing to come that close after...well, after the change actually takes place."

"The chains _will_hold, I assure you."

"You've never been chained up with a vampire audience in attendance before," Carlisle said. "This could end badly for all of us, but most likely for you."

"I have faith in you and your coven, Carlisle," Mstislav said, his voice still calm.

"All right, well...we'll let you have some privacy then. Get a good night's sleep."

They heard the sounds of Mstislav entering his cabin and then the men heading up the path. Rose and Bella dropped out of the tree as they walked by, landing on Emmett's and Jasper's backs.

"Gotcha!" Bella whispered in Jasper's ear.

"Indeed you do!" He grinned. "Wanna go for one last run tonight, before you're stuck in the cabin with the 'women folk'?"

"Absolutely!"

Bella looked at Mstislav in disbelief. "Excuse me?" she hissed. "You've done _what_?"

"I have taken my mate," he said calmly, as if announcing that kidnapping a U.S. Federal Agent were no bigger a deal than going down to the corner store to buy a loaf of bread.

Bella stared at him in disbelief. If she'd only gone up to the cabin with Jasper after their last minute all night romp, instead of telling him to go on ahead while she looked for her missing shoes, this wouldn't be happening to her right now. And really, who needed shoes? She certainly didn't. She hadn't needed them after about five minutes with Jasper the night before. They could have stayed lost for a few days. "Why are you telling _me_ this? Why are you even _here_ right now? What have you _done_ with her?" Bella's vampire mind was reeling.

"I am in need of your assistance."

"I am _not_ assisting you!" Bella said, backing up and getting ready to run. "I'm...I'm...I'm telling Carlisle on you!" As soon as she said it, she realized how childish she sounded.

"But you can't," Mstislav said calmly. "I am going to need to be restrained soon—later this morning, in fact—and I will need to remain that way for the next five days. I have taken my mate, and she is safe in a mine up in the mountains, but she will not be safe for that long. She is restrained and does not have enough food and water for five days. She will die if you don't help me. The males—Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett—they will all want to guard me. You must help me so she doesn't die."

"What do I care if she dies?" Bella spat at him. "She can die, and we'll kill you, and it will all be over for us."

"She is an employee of the United States government, as you are all so fond of pointing out to me. Frequently. If she disappears, they will search for her. Your family will be implicated. The 'heat', as you call it, that has so recently been removed from your family will be turned back on. Very high, I should think. You have to help me or your family will suffer."

Bella looked at him in disbelief. "That is _blackmail_!" she yelled.

"Why, yes, yes it is. Very perceptive of you."

"Well, you're not very subtle about it, you know."

"Will you do it?"

"I don't know, I don't know..." she muttered. She started pacing, her hands pulling at her hair. "This is just all sorts of wrong! _All_ sorts! I need to tell Jasper."

"If you tell your mate, he will be torn. He will not leave me here with just two males to guard me, and he will not let you go alone."

"No, he'll just _kill_ you. And, again, problem solved."

"But if he kills me, you won't know where to find her. I will not tell you where she is until you agree."

"I can follow your back trail," she said, smugly. "You stink so bad right now that even I can do that."

"Maybe you can, maybe you can't. I am very, very clever at hiding my trail, vampire."

"Well, as soon as you tell me where she is, we'll kill you anyway."

"Hmm...perhaps...perhaps I have already bitten her," Mstislav said thoughtfully. "I have bitten her, and she is, even as we speak, turning into a werewolf. Or...maybe it takes longer, and she is just lying there, trapped and in pain...or maybe I have bitten her and only I can heal the wound...or maybe she was damaged in a fall and is alone, scared and in pain, but I couldn't remain with her without endangering her...or maybe the bond is already sealed between us, and if you kill me you doom her. Tell me, vampire, do you know what it feels like to be without your mate?" Mstislav stared at Bella, his eyes hardening.

"ARGH! You are so...UGH!" Bella stomped her foot. Her tantrum was going rapidly downhill on the maturity scale, as were her vocabulary skills.

Mstislav remained impassive and silent as she continued to pace.

"Why me?" she finally asked. "Why not...Esme? She's been nice to you...she's cooked for you, she's helped with your cabin, she let you stay. She might even kind of like you! But I hate you—what you are, what you did—so why ask _me _for help?"

"Because, of all these people here, you are the only one that can comprehend what I have gone through, what I have regained, and what I risk losing again. You may hate me, but you are the only one that can truly understand me."

Bella stopped pacing and turned towards him. He'd won, and he knew it. At least he had the good grace not to gloat about it. "Fine. Where is she? And what the hell am I supposed to feed her? And does she...I don't know...need anything? Like a blanket, or clothes, or shit like that?"

Mstislav smiled. "I have prepared a pack for you to take to her. I was, I admit, not quite prepared for caring for her properly." He frowned. "I was overwhelmed, you see. I did not honestly think things through."

Bella snorted. "That seems to be the theme to this whole courtship of yours. Fine, where's the pack?"

"I hid it in the woods near the cabin, down by the river. You can find it easily by following the smell of food."

"The others won't have noticed it?"

He shrugged. "If they have, why would they look any closer? I was under the impression that you find the smell of my food repellent."

"Yeah, good point." Bella wrinkled her nose at the thought of carrying said food near her body for any length of time. "I am going to get into _so_ much trouble if I help you." Something occurred to her. "You are lucky I even _can_ help you! I've never actually been ordered by Carlisle or Jasper to _not _go in the woods alone. I can't go into town, but I'm still free to wander around here..."

"Yes, I had noticed that," Mstislav said. "I have learned much about how your coven works in the time I have been here. It has been fascinating."

"I bet. Good thing we're not at war anymore," she said, sounding bitter.

"I told you before, while we may both be predators and natural enemies, it does not mean that we actually _have _to be enemies, not in these modern, enlightened times. As Carlisle is so fond of saying, it is quite possible to rise above the hand that fate has dealt us all."

"Fate didn't deal us _our_ hands, Mstislav. You and I both went looking for these fates, _asking_for these fates," Bella said.

"Well...true, but we don't have to give in to the monster within, correct?"

"Whatever," Bella muttered. "I kind of like my monster, especially right now. Giving in sounds pretty damn good." Bella wondered briefly if he even realized the irony of a werewolf lecturing a vampire about civilized behavior in 'modern, enlightened times'. "It's a stupid idea, and I'm going to get into a lot of trouble before it's all over," she grumbled.

Mstislav shrugged. "I do not think you will. I noticed what happened after our journey to Tok. Everyone was yelled at by Carlisle, the leader, except for _you_. You, it seems, are able to get away with much more than the others."

"It's because I'm the baby. I'll always be the baby." She still hadn't decided how she felt about this fact.

"See? It will be fine. Any action you take will be written off by them as youthful indiscretion. You have nothing to worry about."

"Fine! I'm going back before they wonder where I've been," she said, walking away. Mstislav reached out to touch her arm.

"You will go to her?" he asked softly.

Bella nodded sharply. "I'll go. But I'm not going up there until your shit starts happening. At least then I'll have an excuse to leave. Everybody knows you scare the crap out of me."

"I will come in five days, when this thing is over and they let me loose."

"Yeah, sure."

"I will be indebted to you."

"Damn straight you will. And I won't forget it, either."


	16. Chapter 16

**Things I feel comfortable with, but which might not hold up under Real Scientific Scrutiny: **The incubation time of Giardia. I know WebMD _says_ it takes 7-14 days to incubate. But, really, I've heard of several instances of it being a lot quicker. Like, within a day or two of drinking whiskey—over ICE—at a resort. Come on, people, don't forget the ice is made out of water, DUH! And Super Beta ASSURES me that it's happened within mere hours in HER gut, on more than one occasion. And that's good enough for me...and for the purposes of the story.

**Thing I am SURE about:** Teenagers do really really stupid things, for what they consider to be perfectly sound reasons.

**Chapter 16**

Bella stared down at the human in curiosity. She was inside a sleeping bag, so clearly that stupid werewolf had thought some part of this through beforehand. The liar. Or maybe it was just the woman's sleeping bag and he'd thought to grab it at the same time he'd grabbed her. This was the first time Bella had been alone with a human in a long, long time. The last time she'd been alone with one, she'd drained him. Leaning over, she inhaled experimentally, seeing if she was at all tempted. She quickly jumped back, her nose curling in disgust. The human had apparently voided on herself. Not an attractive smell at all, although Bella remembered that the hiker she'd drained had done the same thing right before he died. Jasper had assured her that it was more common than not. This one, though, was unconscious and not even aware of Bella's presence. And fresh urine didn't smell nearly as bad as old urine. This woman positively stank.

Well, being wet like that, in this cold mine shaft, couldn't be comfortable at all. Bella approached again, holding her breath and carefully nudging the woman with her foot. If she'd wake up, Bella had a change of clothes for her that Mstislav had thoughtfully included in the backpack, as well as a dry sleeping bag. From the scent of them, the clothes belonged to Esme, and Bella wondered how he'd managed to steal them without anyone noticing. She had no idea where he'd gotten the sleeping bag, unless it was his.

The woman still didn't move, and Bella frowned, kicking her a little more firmly. She wasn't dead—her breathing and heartbeat told Bella that much. And she shouldn't be asleep—the kick would have awakened her for sure. Huh. She remembered Carlisle talking about being able to diagnose human problems through scent alone. With a sigh, Bella leaned in again, taking another deep breath. Ignoring the ammonia scent of drying urine, she tried to sift through the other aromas. There definitely seemed to be something off with the smell of her blood.

Standing up, she considered her options. The stupid werewolf must have drugged the woman. What had he used, and where had he gotten it? She looked back at the backpack, thinking about the clothes, and nodded. Carlisle, no doubt. She knew he always kept a well-stocked doctor's bag on hand, in case of human emergencies. The werewolf had obviously been busy when nobody was looking. He could have at least warned her about this. The woman had probably been unconscious for 24 hours or more, and that couldn't be healthy.

She sat down on a nearby rock and considered her options. Finding an unconscious human pissed her off. This wasn't part of the deal. What if the woman _died_? Mstislav would probably blame _her_. Possibly attack her. And then they'd kill him. She nodded, pleased with this idea. This was in no way her fault. And it was a _good _thing she'd agreed to come. Mstislav was right, if she hadn't come the woman would surely have died. Carlisle would agree with her assessment of the the situation. Of course, the human might still die...but at least Bella had tried to help her stay alive. And Carlisle like helping humans, and would be proud of her trying.

The human woman probably needed to be warmed up. That would be a good place to start. Bella could tell she was colder than what was considered good for humans. Tied to the bottom of the backpack was a sleeping bag. She untied and unrolled it, frowning. It was a mummy bag, if she remembered the name correctly. Well, that wasn't going to be much help, unless she first pulled her out of her currently wet bag and then stuffed her down into the mummy bag. Bella had no intention of handling her if she could at all help it. With a sigh, she took the bag over and arranged it over the top of the woman.

Okay, even she could tell by looking at it that it probably wasn't doing much good. And the woman was still lying on the cold rock of the floor, in a wet bag. That didn't seem like a good thing, either. Bella exited the mine, surveyed the slope of the mountain below her, and considered her options. They were barely above the treeline here. The old road that led to the mine disappeared off to her right, all but obliterated from decades of weather. She could maybe go down in the trees and get some branches or something for a bed.

A closer look at the branches made her change her mind. Human memories drifted to the front of her mind, bringing with them images of evergreen boughs at the Christmas holidays...and how horribly prickly they were. All right, no branches then.

But moss...there was plenty of moss below the trees and growing in the shadows of the rocks. Moss it was, then. Moss, and other small, softer looking plants. With vampire speed, it only took a few minutes until she had what appeared to be a fairly nice, soft bed made.

Dragging the sleeping bag over to it, she gave it a couple good shakes until the human slid out of it onto the middle of the makeshift bed. Flinging the damp bed behind her toward the opening, Bella went to put the mummy bag back over the top of her, then stopped. The woman was bound at her wrists and ankles.

Well, this added a whole new set of issues. It made Mstislav's kidnapping seem even more real. Bella remembered all the times she'd been stolen away and restrained. This wasn't right. It wasn't right at all. She leaned over and quickly snapped the ropes holding the woman, pulling the remains away from her and flinging them aside. This woman might have family—family that would wonder where she was, that would miss her and be scared when she didn't return.

"Stupid fucking werewolf," Bella muttered. She put the mummy bag across the top of the woman and stepped back to consider her next step.

Maybe a fire would help. Bella shuddered at the thought. She hated fire. She knew the Cullens—or at least some of the Cullens—seemed to like having one in the fireplace. She was with Peter on that one. It seemed to just be begging for trouble. She had a lighter in her pocket, though. Jasper had trained her well.

With a sigh, she returned to the trees and began gathering wood. Dead, dry wood, and lots of pine cones. Five minutes later she had a nice little fire going—close enough to warm the human up, but also close enough to the mine shaft opening so that the smoke would be drawn out. The wood seemed to be dry enough that there was very little smoke, which was a good thing. Too much smoke and Bella would have put the fire out, not wanting to draw attention to them.

The wet sleeping bag was really starting to bother Bella with its stink, so she took it outside to get rid of it. Once there, though, she had second thoughts. If she washed it and let it dry out, it could be used again. A quick trip to a nearby glacial lake took care of that, and soon the bag was drying on the rocks outside the mine. With nothing else to do until the human either died or woke up, Bella sat down on a rock near the mine entrance and considered her situation. Her shield was up, preventing Alice from seeing what was going on. Maybe it would be a good idea to drop it and let her sister see her, sitting here innocently. Maybe they'd attribute her disappearance to her normal erratic behavior, postponing any trouble she was going to be in. It was worth a try. While part of her really wanted some help, or at least advise, she didn't want to leave her family short handed with a werewolf on the property.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"Found her!" Alice said, excited. "She's sitting on a rock outside a cave. Or a mineshaft. I see timbers, so I _think _it's a mineshaft."

"Figures," Rose said. "Well, that's that, then. She ran off because she was scared. She probably feels better now. Do you see anything else?"

Alice shook her head. "No. I think her shield is up most of the time. Do you think we should go get her?"

"No. I think she's probably fine where she is," Esme said. Rose nodded.

"We don't give her enough credit," Rose said. "She _is_ a vampire, after all. We should, however, go down and tell Jasper what you've seen. He has to know she took off. I'm surprised he hasn't taken off after her."

"She's been gone less than half an hour," Alice said. "What I'm seeing takes place in full daylight, so it's probably not happening until tomorrow at least."

"Well, she arrives safely...wherever she's going. Do you recognize it?"

Alice shrugged. "No. It looks like every other abandoned mine shaft in the park. There are probably hundreds of them. We can follow her scent when the time comes...OH!" Another vision took her, but she quickly came back to them. "Looks like Carlisle goes after her."

"Carlisle?" Esme asked, eyebrow raised.

Alice shrugged. "Sometimes a girl needs her daddy."

Rose nodded. "True. Well, shall we draw straws to see who gets to tell the boys?"

Esme shook her head. "I'll tell them. You two stay here. Do you see _when _Carlisle goes after her, Alice?"

Alice shook her head. "No. I'd guess after the danger from Mstislav passes. Rose is right. How much trouble can Bella get into hiding in a cave?"

Esme hesitated. "Well...this _is _Bella we're talking about here."

Rose laughed and Alice giggled. "True. But I think we're safe this time. I really don't see her doing anything other than sitting in front of the cave and then talking to Carlisle...in front of the cave."

"All right, then. Wish me luck."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Christina felt like she was swimming through jello. Really, really cold jello. She could hear vague, unfamiliar sounds, but her eyes refused to cooperate and open. She could tell she was lying on a strange surface, and it smelled...bad. She could smell smoke and had a moment of panic thinking wherever she was might be on fire. Then she realized she could hear what must _be _the fire, and it didn't sound very large at all. At the same time, she realized she could hear someone's voice muttering almost silently.

"Still out like a light," a strange female's voice came to her. "Not fucking waking her up. Isn't the Hilton Garden Inn. Fuck, what _is _this shit? I'm supposed to feed this to her? I wouldn't eat this, even if I could. Maybe I did it wrong. Wish she would say something. This is kind of creepy. Hope she's not brain damaged or something. That'd be just my luck."

Christina realized she was probably hearing the ramblings of her captor—except...searching through confusing memories, she would have sworn it had been a man who had done this. Whatever 'this' was. She carefully started taking inventory, doing her best to remain still and appear to still be asleep. Her wrists and ankles hurt. She must have been tied, though she was no longer. And she was wet.

Dear God, that smell was coming from her! She'd peed on herself! Wonderful. Either she'd been out for a very long time or it was an effect from whatever they'd used to drug her. Who the hell kidnapped people in a national park? It wasn't like it would be easy to transport an unconscious person any distance over land in a remote area like this.

Her mind went back to the footprints by the springs that she'd seen. Did they belong to her kidnapper? Maybe the local crazies her guide had mentioned weren't so harmless after all. All right, she needed to stop thinking about what _might_ happen and start preparing to try and make an escape.

"Know she's awake. What's she doing? Better not try to run. Just what I need," the woman continued to mutter. Christine risked cracking one eye open, trying to catch a glimpse of her captor. All she could see was a small figure, presumably female based on the size, voice, and long dark hair. The figure was hunched over something near the fire. "And what the hell am I supposed to even cook this in? The bastard didn't even pack a fucking pot! ARGH!" With a scream, she flung whatever she'd been fiddling with into the fire. A moment later, Christina could smell burning food.

It made her stomach clinch in pain, and she realized it might have been quite a while since she'd eaten. Simultaneously she realized it might have been food meant for _her_ currently going up in flames. She opened her eyes a little wider and saw what appeared to be a foil packet curling up and melting in the flames of the small fire.

Sighing quietly, she made a decision. She couldn't go far at all on an empty stomach, and she didn't want to run the risk of any more of the food joining the first meal in the fire. "It's an MRE," she said quietly, being careful not to make any movement. Startling her captor wouldn't be a good idea. The girl might prove to be violent.

It turned out to be a prudent decision. The girl jumped and turned so quickly it made Christina's already spinning head spin a little bit more. And she couldn't be sure, but she thought the girl might actually have growled at her.

Slowly, though, the girl stood up, never taking her eyes off Christina. "A what?" she asked quietly. Christina hadn't noticed when she'd been mumbling almost silently to herself, but now...the girl had a beautiful voice, almost like chimes. Very...odd.

"An MRE," she said, keeping her voice quiet and sitting up slowly. "Meals, Ready to Eat."

The girl snorted, the sound in direct contrast to the beauty of her speaking voice. "It didn't look very ready to eat to me."

"Well...you have to have all the parts of the packet in order to heat it up."

The girl seemed to consider this for a moment, then turned and walked away. Christina thought for a moment that she might be leaving her here, and hope surged briefly. But no, she was just retrieving a pack and a bag. "Here," she said, dropping them next to Christina. "There's more in here. I'll let you do it. There's dry clothes, too. I imagine you might want them. Your sleeping bag...I washed it. It's outside drying out. It'll probably be dry by tonight. You, uh...you can pee back there if you need to. Or, whatever." The girl gestured further back into the cave behind them, further into the darkness and away from the light coming from what must be the entrance. "But, if you could, you know, bury it or something...so it doesn't smell."

Christina felt herself blushing. The girl must be going elsewhere to do her own business. Hell, she might have flush toilets just twenty feet away, for all Christina knew. Clearly, though, Christina herself was not supposed to be going anywhere. Deeper into the cave—or mineshaft, as she could tell when she looked around a little more—clearly led nowhere, hence her being allowed in that direction. Well, once she was fed and had changed her clothes, she was pretty sure she'd be able to overpower the girl and get out. The light coming from further up the mine shaft looked like daylight. That, and the fact that the air was fairly cold, made Christina think she was probably still in the mountains. She didn't know where the hell she thought she could go, but getting out was the first order of business. The rest would come. The fact that the girl had almost literally just dumped an entire backpack full of supplies in her lap made the thought of escape so much more realistic.

Either she was missing something major...or whoever had done this hadn't thought it through very well. She'd plan for the first and hope for the second.

"Dry clothes would be nice," she said quietly, hoping to get the girl to talk to her. No luck, though. The girl just looked at her silently for a moment, then turned and headed for the entrance to the cave. Right. Dry clothes first.

Actually, peeing was the first thing she needed to do. Evidence to the contrary, her bladder was quite full. She carefully made her way further into the mine shaft, making sure not to get too far from the fire. The walls were stone, but the floor of the shaft had an accumulation of dirt and gravel on it. Christina quickly took care of business and then buried it as the girl had suggested before stripping out of all her damp clothing. Her shirt, thankfully, was still dry. Digging through the bag, she found jeans that fit her well enough, though they were a bit long in the leg. She didn't think they belonged to the girl. They were definitely the jeans of an adult woman, not a teenager. There was also a sweatshirt, which she quickly pulled on, and another pair of socks, which she put on over the ones she was wearing. It was cold in the cave, and the fire had not done much to warm her up.

Feeling better, she returned to the fire, carrying the damp clothing with her, neatly folded up. The girl had come back and held her hand out. Christina hesitantly held out the clothing, not sure if that was what she wanted. Evidently it was, because the girl snatched them out of her hand and disappeared again. Christina briefly considered following her, to try to escape now, but then her stomach clenched in pain and a wave of dizziness washed over her. Hunger. She didn't know what day it was. It could have been days since she'd eaten or drank. She'd not get far in this condition. Squatting down by the fire, she rifled through the pack and brought out more MREs, along with two bottles of water. She opened one and started slowly sipping while she prepared some food, enjoying the warmth of the fire while she worked.

A rattle of pebbles got her attention and she looked up to find that the girl was back, standing only feet away and watching her silently. It was creepy. Deciding to see if she could draw her out, maybe get some much needed information, Christina decided to talk while she waited for the food to heat up.

"So...you want to have one of these? I can fix it for you." The girl just stared. "Really. They aren't nearly as bad as you'd think, especially when you're hungry." The girl snorted in disbelief. Well, at least she'd gotten _some _reaction. Christina ripped the now warm foil pack open and inhaled deeply. "Mmmm...some sort of pasta in cheese sauce. You sure you don't want any?" She held the foil packet to the girl, who abruptly turned her back and left.

Huh. Good to know. Christina took a bite of the food and chewed thoughtfully. The girl probably had a 16-oz steak waiting for her or something. Although, she had to admit, she'd been right. Especially when seasoned with hunger, the MRE really wasn't bad at all.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Christina thought the meal would help her wake up, but it had the opposite effect. Exhaustion, hunger, dehydration, and the lingering effects of the drugs in her system all combined to make her almost fall asleep in her MRE. When she was finished, she drank some more water, threw some wood on the fire, and crawled into the mummy bag.

When she woke up again, the mine shaft was pitch black except for the faint glow of coals in the fire. She wasn't cold, though, and reaching up she found that the other sleeping bag—_her _sleeping bag from the cabin—had been placed over her. If the girl was around, she didn't see her or hear any sign of her.

Another MRE and the second bottle of water later, she felt almost human again. Time to see how far she could make it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

She made it as far as the entrance to the mine shaft. It was, indeed, night, as dark as an Alaskan summer night ever got at these latitudes. A full moon hung in the twilight sky. An animal growled somewhere nearby in the jumble of boulders, making her step back in the mine shaft almost involuntarily.

"You need to stay inside," the girl said, appearing out of nowhere. "It's not safe out here."

Christina jumped and almost peed on herself again.

"I...uh...need more water," she said, holding up the two empty bottles.

The girl looked at her, smirking, clearly not believing the lie. And why would she? Christina was feeling less and less like a trained FBI agent and more and more like...something else. She didn't want to examine it too closely. Nothing had happened to her, other than being kidnapped of course, and she hadn't been harmed. But this girl made her feel uncomfortable. Nervous. Like a victim. Like...prey.

Christina tried to shake the feeling, but it refused to leave. When the girl reached out and grabbed the water bottles, Christina took another step back.

"Go back inside. I'll get water. Don't try to leave." And she was gone, as quickly as she'd appeared a moment before.

Yeah. Right. Why was she so nervous about someone who clearly had no idea about keeping a captive?

She made her way down the slope from the mine shaft, intent on getting to the tree line as fast as possible, when a loud roar of rage came from that direction. Freezing, she waited, and the roar came again. She backed up hastily to the opening in the mountainside, then headed up the slope, away from the trees.

Another roar came, this time from further up the mountainside from her. There was more than one, whatever it was. She mentally ran over the short list of possibilities. Bears? Maybe...though according to the guide, they normally didn't come this high. Cats? The guide hadn't mentioned large cats. Maybe lynx? Or wolves? But wolves didn't roar, they howled...didn't they?

The roar came again, and she decided she really didn't want to know. She retreated quickly back into the dubious safety of the mine. Whatever it was, if it was out at night then it probably wouldn't be out during the day. Right? She threw more wood on the fire, then realized that whatever was making the noise...her captor was out there with it, getting _her_ water.

She didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned. If the girl didn't come back—if she was hurt or killed by the creature—Christina could just hike out of here. She had food, and water would be easy to find. But that would mean the girl, barely more than a child—because, really, she didn't look as if she could be older than 17 or 18—was either injured or dead. And Christina was not wasting time or energy looking for her to risk getting caught again. She'd just tell the proper authorities about it when she got out.

She went about fixing another MRE—some sort of barbecued meat this time. Yum. She felt a faint breeze and looked up, frowning. As windy as it had been outside earlier, there'd been no air movement inside the mine shaft. If the wind had changed direction, that didn't bode well for her staying very warm. She looked over at the pile of wood, realizing it had grown quite a bit while she'd been asleep. The girl had to have somebody else nearby helping her. She noticed something else sitting by the wood pile and frowned.

Her water bottles. Filled. A shiver ran down her. A rabbit over my grave, she thought, remembering what her mother had always said.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Within hours she was shivering for an entirely different reason, and she remembered what the guide had said.

Don't drink the water.

It was looking like that single roll of toilet paper in the back pack might not be enough. How much more could _be _in her system, really? She was amazed at how much sheer volume had already managed to make an exit.

She lay huddled within both sleeping bags, probably dangerously close to the fire, trying to decide if it was worth trying to untangle herself and make her way further back in the mineshaft, again, for what had to be the thousandth time or if shitting oneself was really such a bad thing.

Across the fire she could see the girl. Always there. Always unmoving. Always staring. Often smirking. She wasn't smirking now, though. Now she looked worried...and maybe scared.

"Isn't there somebody you can call to help?" Christina asked through clenched teeth.

The girl shook her head. "Do you want something to drink? You're dehydrated."

"I _know_ I'm dehydrated!" Christina snapped. "And drinking more of this water isn't going to help!"

The girl looked over at the now empty water bottles. "What was wrong with the water?"

"You're not supposed to drink the water. It needs to be filtered. It has Giardia in it! Why aren't _you_ sick?" she demanded, suddenly suspicious.

The girl shrugged. "I didn't drink the water."

"Well, can I have some of what you _are_ drinking?"

"You wouldn't like it. I'm...on a special diet," the girl said, the smirk returning.

Christina collapsed back in the bags, trying to burrow deeper into their warmth. Movement made her open her eyes again, and she saw the girl squatting in front of her, holding something out.

An iPod.

"Here," the girl said, hesitantly. "It doesn't have much on it, but maybe it will make you feel better. I'm going to, uh, go...call...see if I can get somebody to come help."

Christina reached out with a shaking hand to take the player. She couldn't figure the girl out. She couldn't figure _any_ of this out. She still didn't know why she was here. She'd tried for the past several hours to find out something—_anything_—from her captor. All her questions were met by stony silence.

The girl disappeared again, and Christina put the earbuds in. Turning the player on, she began listening to a decidedly odd play list, wondering at the choices the girl had made. They were as odd as she was.

Was this some sort of cult thing? Was it related to some case she'd covered in the past? Had somebody with a grudge somehow traced her and Quin to Alaska, then seized their opportunity when she'd so conveniently isolated herself? But who? She couldn't think of anything or anyone that would want to kidnap her. And that girl... She was awfully young to be involved in anything like this—unless maybe human trafficking?

Christina shook her head, then regretted it as it threatened to explode. That girl. She looked vaguely familiar somehow. But that was ridiculous. The drugs, the exhaustion, the dehydration... Christina realized with a sinking heart that she quite possibly would never leave the mine shaft alive. She also realized that the part of this thought that aggravated her the most was the thought of not ever having her questions answered.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Bella sat on a rock outside the cave, her eyes closed and her thoughts focused 60 miles to the west of where she was. The sounds of a very sick human behind her in the mine shaft were barely registering anymore.

"Carlisle," she thought, trying to make a firm decision that she needed help. Specifically, Carlisle's help. "please come. Please, please, please, please...! Oh, Alice, please see this. I need Carlisle. Please, please, please...!" She had no idea if it was going to work. Even Alice said her visions, and the way they worked, were a bit of a mystery, even to her.


	17. Chapter 17

**Things I know little about: **The actual danger presented by a werewolf during the full moon, and how well chaining one up during that time would really work. Mstislav says it will work, insisting it has worked for him for centuries, so I'm going to take his word for it. Besides, after defeating an entire army of them _and_ the Volturi, the Cullens really have very little reason to be too worried. Right?

**Thing that the readership seems to agree on:** Montezuma's revenge can hit really, really fast.

**Chapter 17**

"You shouldn't be down here," Carlisle hissed, dropping to the ground in front of Esme. "What are you thinking?" Esme rolled her eyes at him.

A split second later, Emmett and Jasper appeared next to them.

"What is it? What's happened?" Jasper asked. "Where's Bella?" His head swung around and he eyed the distant mountains. "She took off, didn't she? God dammit!" He looked ready to bolt, but Carlisle reached out and grabbed his arm. Jasper growled at him, but Carlisle ignored it.

"Quiet, Jasper. Esme...tell us."

"Bella ran off," Esme said. "But Alice has seen her," she was quick to add. "Up at one of the mine shafts. She's okay."

Carlisle relaxed a little. "She was very nervous about this whole thing," he said, nodding. "I'm not surprised she took off."

"This was a mistake bringing Mstislav here. I have to go after her," Jasper said, starting to pull away from Carlisle. Carlisle looked at Emmett and jerked his head towards Jasper, and Emmett grabbed Jasper's other arm, holding him in place. Jasper growled at Emmett and began to jerk free, but a growl from Carlisle stopped him.

"Jasper, this is exactly why we brought Bella to this location. She needs to be able to run if she needs to, since that seems to be her coping mechanism. You yourself said Mstislav would have followed us home no matter what, and I'm inclined to agree with you. Esme, did Alice say anything else? Is she going to be all right up there by herself?"

Emmett snorted. "She _is_a vampire, Carlisle. I don't think anything's going to get her up there."

"This _is _Bella we're talking about here, Emmett," Carlisle retorted.

"Yeah, good point."

"No," Esme said. "Alice doesn't see anything bad happening to her. Just her sitting outside a mine shaft up above the tree line."

"See?" Carlisle said, looking pleased. "This is a good thing, Jasper. It's understandable that she would feel safer further away from here. It's a good sign that she stopped where she did and didn't just keep running." Carlisle nodded, obviously happy at this. "Let her have some space, Jasper. You made a commitment to helping keep an eye on Mstislav with us, and I don't feel safe with it just being Emmett and I here. You are the one with expertise in this area." Carlisle ignored Emmett's disgruntled noise. "Bella understood the need for you to help keep an eye on him. I spoke with her more than once about Mstislav's presence. You can go to her as soon as he reverts to his human form."

"Actually, Carlisle, Alice sees _you _going and getting her, not Jasper."

Jasper growled again.

"Me?" Carlisle asked, obviously surprised. "Why me?"

Esme shrugged. "She didn't see the why, but she _did _say that sometimes a girl just needs her daddy." She smiled at this, and Jasper felt a surge of pleasure from Carlisle. Yeah, Bella was obviously the favorite child right now.

Carlisle looked at Jasper before speaking, clearly trying to gauge his reaction. Jasper just rolled his eyes and looked away. "All right, then. I'll go bring her back after this is over. Jasper and Emmett should be more than enough for his first day back as a human, especially as we intend to keep him chained up. Jasper?"

"That's fine," Jasper mumbled. He was clearly not pleased, but there wasn't much he could do about it, really. Carlisle _was_ in charge, after all, and he couldn't really find a reason to not let him go and retrieve Bella. As coven leader and father figure for the family, they were _all _his ultimate responsibility. "Does Alice see anything else?"

Esme smirked. "She sees you having a fairly intense reunion with Bella when they get ba—"

"Okay, okay!" Jasper said, cutting her off. He did not need to hear his "mother" tell him about his upcoming interactions with his mate.

"Right, then. Esme, back to the cabin. Boys, back to our posts. We've still got two days of this, at least. Esme, it's absolutely fascinating. Next time, perhaps we can all watch his change..."

Esme rolled her eyes again but returned to the cabin to wait with Rose and Alice. In her opinion, they were having _way_ too much fun with this whole werewolf thing.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Christina was sure she was hallucinating. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe there really was a frozen marble statue helping her to the back of the mine shaft to use the "bathroom". An _animated _frozen marble statue...that looked a lot like the girl that was holding her hostage.

"You're cold. And hard. For a girl. Or a boy, for that matter," she said to the girl helping her, her words slurring so much she wasn't sure they were even understandable.

"_You're _running a fever and out of your mind. And my name is Bella, not 'girl'," Bella said.

Ah, Christina thought, so she _was _really talking aloud. At least now she had a name to put to the face. It was the most information she'd gotten in...well, in however long she'd been here. She wasn't losing her touch after all. She knew she'd get information out of her captor eventually.

"I think I know you from somewhere."

"Um, no. Probably not. I don't see how that's possible," Bella told her.

"Nope, I'm sure of it!" Christina said, struggling to pull her pants back up. "Give me a while, but it will come to me. I never forget a face. Comes with the job description." She giggled.

Fuck, she _was _sick if she was giggling.

"I know!" she said, the image coming to her in a flash of knowledge. "You're Chief Swan's daughter! The one that died!" She was very pleased with herself. She was starting to think her memory was going. Good to know she still had it.

Bella silently helped her back to the fire and into her sleeping bag.

"You're her," Christina repeated stubbornly after she was huddled down in her bag again.

"How can I be this person if you said she died?" Bella asked quietly.

"I have _no_ idea." Christina sat up and stared at her. "But you are. You look just like the picture. Sort of. Wait. That doesn't make sense. That picture is...years old. I'm so confused," she said, flopping back to the ground. "But the name is the same. Isabella. _Bella_."

"You are sick," Bella said, "and confused."

"I don't think I am. Not _that _sick. I think you're her. But if you're her, where is Edward?"

Bella felt her heart seize up. "Who...who is Edward?" she forced herself to ask, then wondered why she was even bothering to talk to the woman. And where the hell was Carlisle? Was the moon still full?

"Your _husband_, silly! Don't you remember him? Except...he died. With you. In the car crash. But you're _here_, so where is he?"

The car crash. Bella wished that he'd died in a car crash. That would have been better than the way he had been ended.

"He's dead. Deader than I am," she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

"Ah HA! I _knew _it!" Christina crowed. "I never forget a face". And with that, she passed out again.

Fuck. Bella stood up and stared at the woman before exiting the cave. Well, it could all be written off to a fever dream. They'd been here for three days now, the human getting progressively sicker. If Carlisle didn't show up soon, Bella was going to have to just carry her down to the cabins herself, even though she didn't know if that was a good idea. She'd thought about doing that when Christina had first gotten sick, but she'd changed her mind almost immediately. There was no telling _how_ Mstislav would react to the nearness of his mate while in werewolf form—if Christina really _was _his mate and not just some piece of ass he was hot for. And if she really was his mate, chances were the fact that she was sick would just make whatever freak-out he experienced even worse, assuming werewolves were anything like vampires when it came to their mates. No, there was no need to complicate matters for her own family.

Carlisle would come. She had faith in Alice's visions. He would come, and he'd take care of this mess she'd found herself in. At least, she _hoped_he'd be the one to come. If Jasper came for her instead...

Because, really, she couldn't see Jasper allowing Carlisle to come in his stead.

If _Jasper_ came, he'd probably just drain the woman and be done with it. Bella looked back at the cave. Her mate didn't have much patience for loose ends, and Christina was definitely a loose end, on so many levels, that maybe it _would _be easier if they just removed her from the equation.

Bella let out a small growl. She'd spent too much time and effort keeping the human alive, and she wasn't about to let her mate make all her hard work a waste of time. No, she had to keep it firmly in her mind that Carlisle would be the one to come for her.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett watched in fascination as the shaggy wolf form slowly morphed back into that of a much more human-looking Mstislav.

"All right. Even _you _gotta admit that was cool, Jasper," Emmett said.

"I don't have to admit to anything," Jasper said. "I _do_, however, have to go find my mate and try to convince her to come back with me."

"Not so fast, Jasper," Carlisle said. "Alice said—"

"Fuck what Alice says!" Jasper growled. "It's bad enough that I stayed here and let her run off by herself, scared. I'm not going to compound the problem by letting someone _else_go to her."

"Jasper," Carlisle said, trying to be patient, "Esme, Rose, and Alice have now _all_ told us Bella did not seem overly frightened _or _panicked before she disappeared. Just a little nervous."

"She's _my _mate!" Jasper said stubbornly.

"Don't be pigheaded," Emmett muttered to Jasper. "Let Carlisle be Daddy. He loves that shit. Rose never lets him, and Alice is too self sufficient to need him for anything meaningful. Bella's his little girl. Let him go get her. It's not going to kill you to wait here with me and watch Fido over there flop around and yell curses at us. After what happened to you, compliments of _them_, I'd think you'd like to enjoy having the upper hand for just a little while longer. I know I'm enjoying this shit immensely."

Carlisle pretended to ignore Emmett's words, more than aware that they held little chance of swaying Jasper's decision. When Emmett was done talking, though, he turned back and spoke again. "Jasper, she might tell _me_ what she's feeling before she'd be open and honest with _you_. She's still very afraid of letting you down, you know. She feels like she has to be strong and brave and worthy of being your mate."

"That's ridiculous," Jasper huffed. "She doesn't have to be anything but herself with me."

"It is what it is, Jasper," Carlisle said. "Maybe—just maybe—she'd feel more comfortable with somebody else being a witness to her weakness this time. And you can be here, waiting for her, ready to let her know how happy you are that she came back."

"What if she's upset that _you_ came instead of _me_?"

"Alice sees her being quite happy to see me, Jasper," Carlisle said serenely. "I have no doubt that it's the right thing to do in this situation."

"Yeah...all right," Jasper said. "But if she's pissed off, I'm telling her it's all _your _fault!"

"And I'll be more than happy to accept responsibility for it," Carlisle said. "Now, you two stay here. I'll go tell Esme that our friend is probably interested in eating something besides raw moose, and then I'll go get Bella. Do _not _let him loose before I get back."

Emmett and Jasper watched Carlisle disappear up the lane towards the main cabin.

"I hate it when he pulls that shit on us," Emmett said. "And the man says he has no special gifts... Bullshit!"

"Bullshit," Jasper said, nodding his head in agreement. He looked back to the figure huddled on the ground in the lean-to, wrapped in chains that were then affixed to a large post. "You know, Mstislav kept trying to convince me that _he _had the better life as a mythical creature than I did. Watching him drinking whiskey and smoking a cigarette made me wonder if maybe he was right. But seeing him now, I'm not so sure."

"Yeah," Emmett said. "Maybe if he could run free..."

"Like nature intended?" Jasper asked, smirking.

"Something like that."

"I'd like to point out that I can both hear _and _understand you now, gentlemen," Mstislav said. "I was wondering if it would be possible for you to undo me now?"

"Um, that would be a big no," Emmett said. "As per both your _and _Carlisle's instructions, you're staying right there for at least another day. I'll go get you some blankets, though. And Esme is probably going to come down and cook some real food for you, so life is looking up."

Mstislav didn't answer. Emmett appeared a moment later from Mstislav's cabin, carrying a couple of blankets. "I couldn't find your sleeping bag, but these ought to help. It'll warm up once the sun's up."

"Thank you," Mstislav said, struggling to sit up. Emmett walked over and gingerly draped the blankets over his chained form. In a flash, Mstislav was on his feet, lunging at Emmett. Snapping and snarling, he made a good show of attacking the vampire. It didn't change the fact that he was still almost human, though, and Emmett leapt quickly out of the way.

"Jesus!" Emmett swore. "See if I try to be nice again."

"He warned us," Jasper said, trying not to laugh. "And Carlisle _said _to not trust him yet."

"And he thinks this Christina chick is going to be interested in him?" Emmett said in disbelief. "I'm starting to re-think agreeing to help him. Dude's a freak."

Jasper shook his head. Emmett could be so clueless sometimes. What did he _think_ was going to happen when they brought home a werewolf?

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"He's changed back into his human form," Carlisle told the waiting women, "but he's still not fully human. He warned us not to unchain him or trust anything he says for at least a day. I'd feel better with at least 48 hours."

"I'd feel better with never," Rosalie muttered.

"Oh, that poor man!" Esme said. "To have to go through this month after month... It's amazing he's made it this long without somebody killing him while he's human."

"Oh, please, Esme," Alice said. "That _poor_ man, indeed. I'm gonna have to side with Rose on this one. Why can't we just get rid of him now?" Mstislav's innate ability to block Alice from having any visions in regards to _any _decisions that might remotely involve him had made her increasingly angry with the werewolf. She didn't care about his volatility or his stench, but not being able to comfortably and regularly see the future was making her bitchy.

Esme ignored them both. "Well, I guess I'll go down and fix him something to eat," she said, getting up to leave.

"Have fun with that," Rose muttered.

Carlisle pulled Esme into a hug as she walked by. "I'm going to go fetch Bella. Hopefully it won't take too long. Let Emmett or Jasper give him the food. Don't go near him at all, understand?"

"I won't," Esme said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Don't worry. The stench alone will keep me away. Speaking of, perhaps you should change _your_clothes before you go get Bella. She'll smell you coming a mile away like that and she'll refuse to come near you."

Carlisle had almost become immune to the stench over the last two days. "Good idea. All right...be careful."

"Always am. Good luck with Bella," Esme said, kissing him quickly on the lips before disappearing through the door. Rose and Alice made no move to follow her, and they didn't engage Carlisle in conversation, either. Carlisle sighed quietly and jumped up to the loft. Having the werewolf around was creating tension on all the members of the family, not just Bella. Still, he, Jasper, and Emmett had gleaned a lot of valuable information over the last few days. Who knew when it might come in handy, if ever? But knowledge was never a bad thing, especially when it involved creatures that were one of your few natural enemies.

After landing in the loft, he quickly stripped and dumped his clothing over the edge into the room below. Esme was right—he might not have handled the werewolf at all, but just being near it over the past few days had left a very identifiable odor on his clothing and his body. He wrinkled his nose, knowing he should probably bathe before re-dressing. Heading to the back corner that housed his and Esme's trunks, he slowed down and inhaled deeply.

Someone had been back here. He leaned closer to the trunks and sniffed along their handles. Mstislav had been up here—Mstislav, pre-change. The late-cycle, almost-human smell of their "guest" was quite distinctive from the stench that now clung to Carlisle. What had he been up to? Had he needed clothing but not wanted to ask?

No...he'd been in Esme's trunk as well. A sudden vision of a cross-dressing werewolf came to Carlisle's mind and he shook his head quickly to dispel it. It appeared that he _had _taken some of her clothing. Puzzled, Carlisle opened his own trunk and froze.

His doctor's bag had been handled as well. He had started keeping a fully stocked bag with him, just in case, when Bella had entered their lives. He'd had no need to use it since she'd changed, but he'd kept it around anyway.

Maybe Mstislav had had a headache...? But he'd only have to ask and Carlisle would have helped him. Carlisle opened the bag and did a quick mental inventory of the contents. He closed it again, carefully considering the implications of what was missing.

What in the world had Mstislav needed sedatives for? Had he thought to use it on himself to assist, somehow, in the change? But, no, Carlisle would have noticed it if there had been some sort of pharmaceutical addition to his system.

What then?

As possible scenarios flitted through his mind, a feeling of dread settled in his stomach. He could definitely imagine _one_scenario for which Mstislav would need a sedative.

"Everything all right up there, Carlisle?" Alice's voice made him jump.

"Fine," he answered, hoping he sounding fine. He quickly pulled clean clothing from the trunk and bundled it up in a towel. Tucked in the bundle were a variety of things from his doctor's bag that might come in handy, just in case his theory was correct. It looked like he'd be following _two _trails into the national park, and considering what might be waiting for him at the end of one of them...well, Bella might just have to wait a bit longer at her cave.

Jumping down from the loft, he quickly gathered his clothes from the floor and headed out of the house in the direction of the river.

"You can just burn those clothes!" Rosalie hollered after him. "They aren't coming into _my_ house to be cleaned!"

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Carlisle was becoming increasingly worried. He was almost 30 miles from the cabin, and contrary to what he'd imagined, there was only one trail for him to follow. Mstislav had clearly gone out on his "energy burning" run and come back to the cabins by the same route. Just as clearly, Bella had followed his trail out. He was starting to dread what he'd find at the end of it. But if what he was afraid of turned out to be true, then why hadn't Alice seen any of it? Why had she only seen Bella alone at a mine shaft?

Because, Carlisle, he reminded himself, Bella is more than capable of controlling her shield now. Making sure that Alice saw only what Bella wanted her to would be child's play for Bella now. Had that been why Alice had seen Carlisle coming to get Bella instead of her mate? Had Bella manipulated that outcome somehow, too? That didn't make any sense, though. He would have thought Bella would have been much more willing to have Jasper be the first witness to any slip-up she might have had instead of himself.

Carlisle hesitated, looking southeast at the mountains that rose up to snow-covered peaks. Somewhere up there he could, with a little bit of concentration, feel the barely-there pull of a line that tied him to all of his coven members. Yep, she was up there. It had disappeared when she and Edward had disappeared in Italy years before, and it had only recently begun making a very faint reappearance. He took great comfort in its presence and all that it meant. Surely, she and Jasper would be staying with them.

Glancing further east, he judged the chances of him making it to her location before the sun rose. It shouldn't be a problem, unless she was way the hell over on the eastern slope of the range. Alice, in her sulk, hadn't bothered to enlighten him as to the day's weather, so he was on his own in that respect. If she'd seen any _real _danger, she would have told him. At least, that's what he told himself.

With a sigh, he left the safety of the trees. If he'd known for sure where he was going, he could have followed them higher up in the mountains. There'd still be tree cover in the valleys for quite a while, but the path led almost straight, and he didn't dare lose it.

Another ten miles brought him to gradually steepening slopes, and he'd already passed several abandoned mines. He wondered—not for the first time—at the greed for shiny rocks that had brought the humans so far into the inhospitable wilderness. It still amazed him that they would go to such lengths to dig it out of the ground.

His sharp eyes began to scan the slope ahead of him, looking for signs of the mine shaft Alice had seen. Suddenly, though, the trail split. Well, it partially split. One of Mstislav's scent trails veered away straight east, to run parallel with the slope. The other one, and Bella's, continued almost straight up the slope. Bella had clearly followed Mstislav's more recent return trail. Well, so would he, then. He'd pretty much convinced himself of what he would find at the end of the trail, and he'd spent most of the trip running various scenarios over in his mind of how he would deal with the fallout.

It would no doubt be, in the words of Emmett, a shit storm.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N**: Apparently Dr. Cullen agrees with me about giardia.

**Things I'm not sure about: **Carlisle's ability as a Spin Doctor.

**Chapter 18**

Bella sat on a rock outside the mine shaft, trying to ignore the fevered ramblings of the woman inside. The first day here, she'd found the whole situation annoying. Over the next couple days, that had gradually changed to concern for Christina's health, then fear for her life. Now, though, Bella's mood had slid firmly back into annoyance. The woman would not shut up. Any attempt by Bella to hush her or get her to be quiet just made things worse. Finally Bella had left her alone by the small fire, wrapped up in the sleeping bags. At this point she didn't care if Christina _did _end up covered in her own excrement.

Humans were so..._annoying_. And smelly. And dirty. And _loud_. God, no wonder Rosalie hadn't liked her. She made a mental note to apologize to her sister the next time she saw her—or, at the very least, tell Rose that she had some sympathy for her.

The woman insisted that Bella was..._Bella_. Bella didn't know quite what to do about this, other than to continually deny it. She'd been a horrible liar as a human, and apparently that had accompanied her into this life. Either that, or it was merely the fact that she hadn't had any reason to practice the art of deception yet—at least, not deception on a human level. She felt fairly confident in her ability to mess with various vampire abilities, all of which were totally useless in the current situation.

Christina had apparently also come to the conclusion that Bella was the victim of either a cult or some sort of trafficking ring. She kept insisting that she would help Bella escape and get her all the help she needed once she herself was healthy again. Bella was starting to have doubts about that happening, since it appeared that Carlisle might not appear to save the day after all.

Suddenly, though, movement further down the mountainside caught her eye and hope began to surge. A moment later, she was sure of it. Carlisle _had _arrived, after all. She took off down the slope to meet him.

"Carlisle!" she squealed, leaping at him.

Laughing at her excitement, he caught her in a hug, lifting her off the ground briefly before setting her back down again. "Oh, Bella!" he said, continuing to chuckle. "What in the world have you gotten yourself into now?" He examined her face carefully, a puzzled expression forming on his own. He leaned forward to sniff her carefully and quickly drew back.

"What's wrong, Carlisle?"

"What _have _you done, Bella?"

"I...Mstislav...that agent, Christina..." Her words were jumbled, but they faded away at the look on Carlisle's face. "What did you _think _I did?" she asked, suspicious.

"I just assumed...since you didn't come back...once I smelled his scent on my doctor's bag, I knew she was in the park. I figured he went after her. I thought you followed his scent and found her, and that's why you didn't come back..." his words trailed off as a look of growing horror formed on Bella's face.

"You thought I _ate _her, didn't you?" she demanded.

"Well, yes, the thought _had _crossed my mind," Carlisle said. "It was a logical conclusion, given what I knew."

"Well, next time remember to figure in my _control_, Carlisle!" Bella said, sounding hurt and angry. "I've only ever drained that one human, and I've been given plenty of opportunities to increase that number. I'd hardly track some smelly werewolf halfway across a national park just for the chance to drain a human. If _that's_what I wanted, I could have just eaten the neighbors. They're only ten miles away!"

Carlisle reached out to pull her into another hug.. Despite her anger at him, she let him. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm just used to dealing with _that_ sort of problem. I forget you're my child that presents me with all the _interesting _sorts of problems to fix. So...what do you have for me?"

"You mean Alice didn't tell you?" she asked, sounding pleased.

"Alice only saw you sitting outside a mine shaft, and then both of us in the same place. That was, I assume, your doing?"

Bella pulled away from his hug and nodded, looking more than a little pleased with herself. "It was. I was practicing."

"Well, it appears you were successful. Now, I assume from the scent on you that you have something you'd like to tell me?"

Bella nodded again and, taking his hand, she led him slowly back up the mountain. Along the way, she filled him in on everything that had happened. She did not bother to hide the fact that she was more than aware of how foolish she had been to get sucked into Mstislav's scheme.

Outside the opening in the rock, Carlisle stopped, tugging on her hand so she would stop, too.

"Bella, don't worry. What's done is done. We have all been guilty of letting that man manipulate us. He seems to have a talent for it, finding and then playing on our weak spots. Emmett's gratitude, my curiosity, and now your kindness. And while this _is _more than a little bit of a problem, I must say I've dealt with worse."

Bella looked quite relieved. "You have?"

"I have lived with Emmett for over 70 years, Bella, and your mate for over 50. Don't even get me started. I could tell you stories that would make your head hurt. We'll take care of this one, too. Now, I can tell already that she's quite sick..."

"She says it's giardia, from drinking the water."

Carlisle chuckled. "Well, maybe it is. But it usually doesn't set in quite so rapidly after consuming contaminated water. Perhaps she picked it up elsewhere and it just conveniently—or inconveniently, as it were—manifested here. It could be bacterial. Or perhaps she was already carrying a virus, and being unconscious in a cave for almost a day in the cold helped her succumb to it. I have no way of knowing right now."

Bella tugged on his hand. "Come inside and examine her."

Carlisle didn't budge. "I think our first action in our efforts to clean up this situation should include _not _letting her see me. If, as you say, she thinks she recognizes you..."

"How could she recognize me?"

"Bella, she is an FBI agent. I'm sure they did a little groundwork before they came up here. Usually it wouldn't be a problem. We leave very little, if any, evidence behind when we leave a place. But this last time...well, it's a little hard to hide a wedding and then a tragic double death."

"Oh." She visibly deflated. "So...this is all my fault?"

"What? No, honey, no! Not at all. It's, well, let's just blame Maria, shall we? Or better yet, the Volturi. It all comes back to them. We're just dealing with the fallout. Now, we _might_ be able to convince Agent Vlodak that seeing you was all a fever-induced hallucination, but seeing you and me together...now _that _might be more difficult for her to write off, knowing the ties that Bella Swan and Carlisle Cullen share. No, what I want is for you to go back in there and administer a sedative. Once it takes effect, we'll carry her back to the cabin. I think if you stay out of the picture at that point, I'll be able to convince her that Esme and I found her wandering in the woods during one of our extended camping trips. Then we'll get her packed up and shipped out, neatly ending this whole little episode."

"What about Mstislav?" Bella asked.

"Yes, well...perhaps we'll just have to keep him chained up a little longer."

"Can't we just, I don't know...take her back to wherever she was staying? Leave her there and hope for the best?"

"Bella, she is _sick_. I don't think that would be conducive to her recovery."

"Well, yeah, I guess..."

"Bella Swan!" a hoarse voice shouted from inside the mine shaft. "I can _help _you! I promise! You don't have to tell anybody about it! Just let me get you away from the situation you're in! I know people who are trained to help people like you!"

"What...?" Carlisle asked, looking towards the mine.

Bella rolled her eyes. "She thinks I've been kidnapped by a cult."

"Ah...well. Here are two pills – dissolve them in her water, and once she's out, I'll give her a shot. Starting with the shot would be better, but...I'm not sure you wouldn't jam it to far in, and in any case there would be a little bit of blood exposed."

"I'm not sure any amount of blood being exposed could overcome the stench in there. I think I can give her the shot."  
>Bella said, wrinkling her nose.<p>

Carlisle chuckled again.

"What?"

"Sometimes I am still surprised by Vampire Bella. Human Bella would probably have fainted at the mere thought of giving someone a shot, and _Vampire _Bella should be effected by the blood."

"Yeah...I'm starting to realize what a pain in the ass Human Bella must have been for everyone."

"No, Bella. Not at all. We have always loved you. Human Bella was my daughter and I loved her dearly, just as I still do. It's just still surprising to think of you...all grown up, as it were."

"Oh. Well..." Bella looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I love you, too, Carlisle. And I really appreciate everything you went through for me back when I was human. And I can't _begin _to thank you enough for everything you've done for me since my change. You're the best dad a girl could ask for."

"Bella, it is nothing. I would do it all again."

Christina began yelling something incoherent, and Bella sighed. "All right, where's the shot? I'm really ready to shut her the hell up and get her out of my hair." Taking the small syringe Carlisle gave her, she disappeared into the mine.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"Well, she _is _rather pungent, isn't she?" Carlisle asked, wrinkling his nose and standing up from where he had been examining the still form of Agent Christina Vlodak.

"Just a little," Bella said in distaste. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Well, she's definitely very, very sick. It doesn't smell like giardia, though, or any bacteria-based problem that I've encountered before. Some sort of virus would be my guess. Drugging her like this, so soon after having been drugged initially, and on top of being ill, would be something I'd normally not encourage. But we have to get her off this mountain quickly."

"Will she live?"

"Oh, yes. I'm fairly certain of that, barring some unforeseen turn of events. Now, I guess we'd best get this show on the road. Did she have any personal effects with her when you found her?"

Bella shook her head. "No. It was just her in the sleeping bag. The stuff in the backpack from Mstislav was all stuff from our house, or things he'd picked up somewhere, maybe in Tok."

"Hmm..." Carlisle said thoughtfully. "He _did_ interact briefly with her there, at least once that I heard about. I wonder if making contact like that triggered something or started some sort of...process. It _does_seem rather odd that she would suddenly decide to vacation in the Alaskan wilderness."

"You think she _met _him here?"

"No. The fact that she was drugged and bound seems to make a lovers' tryst scenario highly unlikely. No, I just wonder. Maybe a restlessness of some sort, or perhaps some sort of pull, similar to what we feel for our mates..."

"But we don't feel that _before _the relationship starts. Do we?"

"No. But I know next to nothing about werewolves. Well, it's a moot point right now. I'll take her with me. _You _stay here and collapse the mine. Mind that you don't collapse it on yourself. Bury the evidence. Try to make it look natural, if possible. Can you do that?"

Bella nodded. She appreciated the fact that Carlisle trusted her with this—even assumed that it wouldn't be a problem for her to carry out. Cover your tracks—something every vampire learned how to do. Something that she had very little practice with.

Carlisle gathered the human in his arms, making sure that she was securely tucked in her mummy bag. Ostensibly it was to keep her warm, but Bella suspected he was also interested in the additional barrier between himself and any bodily functions that might occur on the trip. He headed quickly down slope, and Bella took a few moments to pull down the mine shaft behind her as she exited. Once she was sure any evidence of their presence was buried in the mountain, she headed after him.

Quickly catching up, they headed at a quick pace back towards the cabin.

"We should be back in the trees before the sun rises," Carlisle said. "I don't want to take the risk of anybody seeing us moving in the sunlight. It looks like it's going to be a clear day. They might not _see_us, moving as quickly as we are, but the reflective light we'd throw about would certainly catch their eye."

"There's nobody around," Bella said.

"Oh, you'd be surprised at the number of hikers up here during the summer." He turned to look at her, concern in his eyes. "I hope you and Jasper took that into consideration when you came out here."

"Yes, Dad," she said, rolling her eyes. "We're always really careful." She thought about their antics on the glacier, just a few miles to the east of their present position, and amended that. "Well, we _try _to be. For the most part. Usually."

"Mmmhmm," he said. "I'm sure you do."

They traveled quickly, covering several miles in silence before Bella spoke again.

"Is...is Jasper going to be mad at me?"

"No," Carlisle said, sounding startled. "Are you expecting him to be?"

"Well...I just took off without telling anybody."

"Well, Bella, everyone assumes you took off like that out of fear of the werewolf. Jasper is mad at _himself_."

"Whatever for?" She sounded surprised.

"He feels like he should have put your safety before his duty to the family."

"That's just...that's not right at all. I mean, I wasn't happy about Mstislav _being_ there, and yeah, he scares me—a lot—but I never felt unsafe with him there. Well, I may have _told_ Jasper I didn't feel safe...but that was more because I didn't want him running off again." She knew she was rambling, but she found herself continuing. It felt like a relief to speak to somebody about all this. Rose had been surprisingly easy to talk to, but Carlisle...Carlisle was even easier to talk to. "I mean, there's only one of him. I could have taken him by myself at any time if I wanted to. Except when he was a wolf...and then, well, I hardly think he'd be a match for _all _of us."

Carlisle nodded. "I told Jasper as much. I also reminded him that one of the reasons we chose this location was so that you could have the...well, the feeling of being able to escape when you needed to."

"You did? I thought you were saving this location for a hiding place?"

"Yes, it's that, too, should it become necessary. But it is a perfect place to try integrating a newborn into the family."

"I'm not a newborn anymore!" she said stubbornly.

"No, you're not, but—and don't take offense to this, please, as it is meant merely as an observation—you are far more volatile now than you were when you _were _a newborn."

"I..." Bella said, then her steps faltered and she slowed to a stop. "I'm sorry."

"No, honey!" Carlisle said, stopping and turning back to her. He laid Christina's still form down on the ground and drew Bella to him. "No! There is _no_ need for you to apologize! We are volatile creatures, Bella. The veneer of civilized behavior we wear, co-habitating as a family as we do, it _all _goes against our every instinct! You are doing wonderfully, sweetheart. Esme and I couldn't ask for it to be going any better. Aside from your first few months with us, and a few months since then with Jasper, you've had a most horrific introduction into this life. You need an outlet. All my children had ways of coping in difficult times. Yours happens to be running, and we need plenty of room to accommodate that."

"Really? Did everybody else run away like this?" she asked, sounding relieved at the news that maybe, perhaps, she wasn't abnormal.

Carlisle snorted and picked up Christina again. Turning and beginning to move again, he smiled at Bella, who was keeping pace beside him. "Far from it. Emmett and Rose preferred to break things, preferably together while engaging in various acts of conjugal bliss."

Bella frowned. "Like, in the house? In front of you?" She was very comfortable about her sexual nature, for she _was_ a vampire, but there was no way in _hell_ it was ever going to happen in front of an intentional audience. She had _no _exhibitionist urges.

"Wherever they happened to be when the urge struck. Emmett was very territorial about his mate for decades. It often took nothing more than an innocent look from Edward or me to set him off and make him feel the need to 'stake his claim', as it were. It tended to be very violent at times. It was a very uncomfortable time for all of us," he added reflectively, "but they eventually learned to control themselves. It's been at least two decades since they've felt the need to do anything in public like that."

"What about Edward?" she asked hesitantly. She knew Carlisle would have no stories about her current mate, nor about Alice, from when they were young.

"Edward...Edward was a runner, much like you. Perhaps it's his venom in you that brings out that tendency in you," he said, fond memories flitting across his face. "He would either run or lock himself in his room for days on end and mope."

Bella found herself smiling. "Yeah, that sounds like him. So, since it turns out I did _not_ run away in fear for my life and instead did something _stupid_, what do you think Jasper will say?"

"First, you didn't do something stupid, Bella. You were concerned about the welfare of a human. Never a stupid thing in my book, if nobody else's. Do I wish you had taken one of your sisters with you? Yes, I do, and in the future I expect you to." He stopped again and looked her in the eye, the firmness in his voice conveying the command behind his words. "For right now, I still want _nobody _going anywhere alone. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said meekly, dropping her eyes to the ground.

"If you need to be alone, please tell someone where you are going. Tell them _verbally_. As nice as it was, and very clever too, for you to send a mental image to your sister, it is not nearly enough. Alice's visions are not to be trusted implicitly. You _tell_t hem where you are going, and you do not go too far. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," she said, her voice even quieter.

The silence descended again for a few more miles.

"Being part of a family isn't always easy," Carlisle finally said, breaking the silence.

Bella snorted. "No, it's _not_."

"I hope you find it's worth it, Bella. I know it's hard, and it goes against many of our basic instincts, but you really are doing a remarkable job settling in. I really want you to want to stay. Esme and I want you to. We _all _want you to. You are our daughter."

Bella was shocked to hear a note of hesitation in Carlisle's voice, as if he wasn't sure what her answer would be—as if he were afraid her answer would be a negative. She didn't like hearing it there, and she liked it even less that she might be the source of his insecurity. She had never seen or heard him be anything less than absolutely sure of himself. Jasper had been right about feeling like she might have let Carlisle down.

"I want to stay...if you can stand having me around. I've been nothing but trouble so far. Biting people...disobeying you...bringing home humans..."

"Well, as I said, being part of a family isn't easy. For _anybody_. It'll get easier. And as for humans...well, ask Emmett about Swami Dave some time."

She was about to ask him for more details when they both heard a roar from the forest in front of them.

"Jasper," they said simultaneously, looking at each other and grinning.

"I guess he knows you're close. Why don't you go on. I'd rather not explain this to him right now," Carlisle said, gesturing with his chin to the human he carried in his arms. "I think some time with you will do him a world of good. It'll do you _both_ some good. Besides, I do _not_ want Agent Vlodak to see _either_ of you while she's with us. Go, have fun, and don't come back for a couple days. And _don't_ come barging in when you _do _come back. Make sure she's gone...understand?"

Bella nodded.

"You might want to roll in the river before you get to Jasper. Wash the scent off, you understand," Carlisle said.

Bella cocked her head and a smile formed. "Carlisle, do you not want Jasper to know about the human?"

He sighed. "I don't want Jasper feeling like he has to help with this. I'm hoping I can have her on her way quickly and never involve your mate."

"Good luck with that," Bella mumbled. "I'm not going to hide something like that from him, Carlisle."

"I'm not asking you to hide anything. But if you're too busy with your reunion to mention what you were actually up to, you'll probably have more time with him. As soon as he finds out what happened, he'll want to fix it."

"Well, that's certainly true." Bella nodded. "I'll see what I can do...or not do, as it were."

"Okay, go on."

Bella took off running, but as she disappeared through the trees she was pretty sure she heard Carlisle mutter to himself, "I hope those two idiots didn't unchain Mstislav yet."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

**AN **- Carlisle reminds me of Dustin Hoffman's character in "Wag the Dog". Whatever is going wrong, he's always got a story to compare it to that was WAY worse: "This is not a problem!" Right now, Carlisle is playing Spin Doctor and loving it, apparently. And while it seems like he's encouraging her to lie to Jasper, well, he really just doesn't want any 'help' while he handles the human problem. ALSO, he want Bella to have some time with Jasper to settle down.


	19. Chapter 19

**Things I'm sure of:** I'm as sick of writing about human bodily functions as you are of reading about them, but probably not as sick of them as Bella is.

**Chapter 19**

"Carlisle!" Esme gasped. "What do you have? Who do you—is that...?" An instant later Esme was out the back door of the cabin and by Carlisle's side.

"Yes, it's Agent Vlodak," Carlisle said, climbing the steps. "Apparently Bella was doing a little more than just hiding in a cave because she was afraid of a werewolf. In fact, _nothing _she was doing was tied to her fear of Mstislav."

Esme held her hand out to stop him. "Don't take her in there."

Carlisle looked at his mate in disbelief. Normally Esme was the poster child for caring and compassion. "Esme, she's very sick. I need to get her inside and by the fire."

"Well, she smells bad. She needs to be cleaned up, and we don't have the facilities to do that in the cabin. She's unconscious, right? You just take her down to the river and start cleaning her up while I grab something clean for her to wear."

"She's _sick_!" Carlisle reiterated. "Cold river water is hardly a good idea right now."

"She's also unconscious—artificially, by the smell of it—so she won't even notice."

Carlisle knew there was no swaying her on this, so he turned and headed back down to the water. No sooner had he laid the agent down on the ground and started pulling her out of the sleeping bag and Esme was back by his side, soap, washcloths, towels, and warm sweat pants and sweatshirt in hand.

"Let me finish this," Esme said. "You can go put together some sort of pallet in our bedroom. There's those extra sleeping bags in the loft that we picked up for show, but really, that's all we have in the way of bedding right now. Is she...she's wearing _my _clothes!"

"Long story. Are Peter and Charlotte back yet?"

"It's always a long story. Why is it always a long story? Can _nothing _ever be easy? And, no, they're not back yet. He called and said they'd run into an old friend in Anchorage and they'd be later getting back than they thought. It's getting to be a steady stream of visitors lately."

"Did he need us to come in?" Carlisle asked, concerned.

"No, no. He knew the man well enough, he said. He'll fill us in when they get back."

"Emmett and Rose...?"

"Emmett's down with Mstislav still. Rose and Alice ran to the house but should be back soon. I'm surprised Alice didn't see any of this..." she said, beginning to quickly wash the still form of Christina in the shallow water. The human gave a start when the cold water hit her skin, but after the initial surge in her heartbeat, she seemed to settle back into her drugged state. Carlisle waited a moment before saying anything.

"I don't think Alice saw any of this because, to begin with, Mstislav was involved. And after that, Bella was blocking her," Carlisle said, proceeding to fill Esme in on everything Bella had told him, at vampire speed and in an abbreviated format. By the time he was done, Esme had all but forgotten what she was doing and was staring at him in shock.

"Um...you may want to finish up there," Carlisle said. "She's turning blue."

"Shit."

As he hurried back up to the cabin, Carlisle could hear his mate cursing quietly to herself as she finished washing Christina and got her re-dressed. He quickly made a pallet on their floor using the sleeping bags, and he found a cleaned up paint bucket that could be used as a temporary toilet. It was rough, but it was the best he could do on short notice. Hosting a human, let alone a deathly ill human, had not been anywhere remotely in their plans. As soon as he was done, Esme was there, tucking Christina into the top sleeping bag.

"Is she incontinent?" she whispered. "I don't have anything to serve as a diaper."

"I don't think so. I think the main problem was our daughter. She may have been a caretaker type as a human, but apparently it's not one of her strong points now."

"Does Jasper know about this human? Is this going to turn into another Swami Dave incident?" Esme asked, sounding worried.

"No," Carlisle said firmly. "We are _not _going to let this get out of hand. Bella was fairly certain that Christina was hallucinating for a while before I arrived. When she awakes, I will encourage that belief. We'll keep everybody else out of here, and when she wakes up and is up to it, we'll take her back to Tok, to the clinic there. I'd take her right now, but I want to be with her when she wakes up, to try to solidify her belief that it was all a hallucination. We'll say I found her while out hiking. We'll have Rose and Emmett check to see if she's even been reported as missing yet. Who knows what she was originally doing up there in the park? I didn't have time to follow Mstislav's trail to wherever he found her."

"Speaking of Mstislav, what are we going to do with _him_?" Esme asked, turning to look in the direction of the little cabins. "Does he know she's here?"

"I have no idea what he's aware of, or what kind of bond might or might not be between them. I don't care if there _is _a bond, of any kind. He has presumed too much. We're keeping him chained up until she is safely out of here. Hell, we're keeping him chained up until she is safely back in Washington D.C., or wherever the hell she is from."

"That seems a little inhumane," Esme said reprovingly.

"I really don't care at this point, Esme. He has put us all in danger, again, by pulling this stunt. I know the boys said they would help him _meet_ her, or _find_ her, and I wasn't going to stop them, but all that was before the person he was looking for turned out to be the same person that was looking for _us_. I never intended for our help to be quite this personal and hands-on. It's gone far past the point of being ridiculous. We'll get her out of here, then we'll ship _him _out, somehow."

"You don't think he'll just come back here?" she asked, worried. She hadn't really minded Mstislav's presence, at least not when he was in his more charming human form. She wouldn't mind seeing the last of him, though. He had turned out to be a most troublesome house guest.

"No." Carlisle shook his head. "I don't think he will. I suspect his mind is rather one track right now, and that track has this woman's name on it. We'll send her home, then take him south and point him in the right direction. It will all work out fine." Unfortunately, saying these words did little to convince Carlisle of their validity.

"How do you think Jasper is going to handle all this?" Esme sounded even more worried now. Her "youngest" son was so volatile, and so overly protective of Bella. This whole thing could send him over the edge. "I heard their reunion out in the woods. I'm surprised he's not already in here, trying to direct traffic and take over." This last was said with fond exasperation.

"Well...I may have pointed out to Bella that the longer she could refrain from mentioning what really happened on her little trip, the longer that reunion could go on. Hopefully we'll have Agent Vlodak out of the house before he comes bursting in here."

"You, my dear, have an overly inflated sense of optimism." Esme herself nursed no such hope. She sighed and mentally braced herself for the sight of an enraged Jasper bursting through the door at any moment. She hoped he would at least open it first. New doors were not so easy to come by out here, and with a sick human in the house she didn't dare leave the doors open. "Well, I suppose you better do your doctor thing now. She sounds like she might be waking up." If things moved quickly, maybe they could have the human out of the house before all hell broke loose even more than it already had.

Carlisle switched places with his wife. "She might just be. I didn't give her too large of a dose. She's already been exposed to a dangerously large dose of it in the last few days, on top of the viral infection she's got going." He did a quick exam, not having to bother with the props in the doctor's bag that sat upstairs in the loft. "She's pretty dehydrated, but she isn't running a fever, although that bath may have something to do with that. If you can make some broth, that would be a great help. I don't know what Bella has been feeding her, but I'm sure whatever it was hasn't been staying down due to the virus. She didn't vomit or have any diarrhea on our trip back here. That could either be a sign she's past that point or a result of the dehydration. I won't really know for sure till we fix that."

"I'll just go down to Mstislav's cabin and get something going."

"Perhaps you should bring the camping stove back up here, along with some of the supplies. It might look less suspicious, in case she should wake up any time soon."

"Oh, true. Good point."

"And don't mention any of this to Emmett _or _Mstislav."

"Right." Esme shook her head and left the room. Her mate was out of his mind if he thought he could keep this a secret from anyone else in the family. She wondered if perhaps he'd gotten into a batch of bad blood. Maybe an elk with mad cow disease or something. Perhaps she should be keeping an eye on him.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"I think we totally destroyed our clothes this time," Jasper murmured into Bella's neck.

"That's all right. Mine were pretty much done for, anyways. And yours smelled like werewolf." Bella lay in the ferns and stared up into the clear blue sky. Thoroughly sated and happy in the arms of her mate, she tried to will the last few days to disappear from her mind. The fact that Jasper had smelled so bad had turned out to be a plus—they'd left their clothes far behind in their progress through the forest, and any remaining smell of human that might have lingered on her skin was more than overwhelmed by the stench of Mstislav on _his_. In fact, at one point they'd happened upon a small clearing where some sort of pleasant smelling plant was growing, and they'd rolled in it like cats in catnip.

All in all, a good reunion.

"I'm sorry," Jasper said, before licking the most recent love bite mark he'd left on her shoulder. It had sealed almost immediately after delivery, but he enjoyed revisiting the moment, however briefly.

"For what? Biting me? Don't expect me to apologize for _my _bite." She giggled, leaning up a bit to give the already healed mark on his shoulder a swipe with her tongue.

"Mmm... No, not for the bite. For doing what I promised I wouldn't do, and leaving you alone. I thought you'd feel safe there in the cabin with your sisters. Instead you felt like you had to run off and hide in a cave. I should have come to you when I felt you leave. I would say Carlisle wouldn't let me, but I should have just come anyway."

Bella didn't know what to say. If all that was true...and based on the way she _had _been behaving...well, he had every right to expect her to be angry. "Well...no, you shouldn't have disobeyed Carlisle," she said, addressing that statement and avoiding the others. "We're part of the family, and being in the family means obeying him. That's what you keep telling me, anyway. I could hardly expect you to ignore your own words. I was fine."

"Well, still, I should have come for you when it was over instead of letting Carlisle go get you."

"NO! No, really, it was fine. We had a nice talk. It was nice to get a chance to talk to him, just me and him. You know, talking to 'Dad'... It was nice. Nice. Fine. It was fine. Don't be upset." Bella was rambling and she knew it.

"Why are you nervous?" Jasper asked, leaning up on his elbows and looking down at her.

"Nervous? I'm not nervous...am I?"

"Definitely nervous."

"Oh." Bella wasn't sure what to say. Vampires were natural liars, but evidently not with their mates. Or maybe it was just another carryover from her human days.

"Carlisle wasn't too hard on you, was he?" Jasper asked, his eyes darkening.

"What? NO! I mean, he didn't even yell. He hadn't told me not to go off by myself, or mentioned that 'only in pairs' thing, so I hadn't really even disobeyed him...though he made sure to fix that. And you hadn't told me to not go off in the woods... No, we just...talked." Running out of suitably nervous sounding things to say, Bella went with her other option.

Distraction.

Jasper seemed to be perfectly willing to be distracted as she flipped him over in the ferns.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"What the hell is going on?" Rosalie demanded as she and Alice entered the cabin. "Alice says she saw Carlisle bringing back a human in a sleeping bag." Rose and Alice both stopped just inside the door and inhaled deeply. "Oh, my God, you _did_!" Rose turned to glare at Carlisle.

"Keep your voice down, please!" Esme said. "She's sleeping. And sick."

"Oh, great! What is it with everybody in this family all of a sudden wanting to bring home pets? I mean, we move to the country and everybody wants an animal? Isn't that taking the human charade a bit far? Emmett and Jasper bring home a werewolf, Carlisle brings home a human. What's next? Bella bringing home a baby skunk?"

"Actually, Rose, the human is Bella's," Esme said. Her hand flew to her mouth as she realized what she'd said. "I mean, Bella found the human."

"What, while she was contemplating her navel up in that mine shaft? Seems like an odd place to find a human."

Alice had gone into the bedroom to get a closer look at the human, but she quickly retreated into the main room. "Oh, my God!" she whispered loudly. "Is that Agent Vlodak? It is, isn't it? Holy shit! Does Mstislav know about this?"

"Mstislav is the _cause _of this," Carlisle said. "But he doesn't know she's here, and I want to keep it that way, so keep your mouths shut."

"And so it begins..." Esme murmured.

Carlisle ignored her. "Mstislav evidently found Christina in the park and drugged her with a sedative that he took from my doctor's bag. I don't know if this was a premeditated action, but I'd have to guess that it was. I find it hard to believe that he decided to randomly take a loaded syringe with him on his so-called 'energy burning run' immediately prior to his change. We don't know if the fact that she was in the park to begin with had anything to do with him or if it was just random coincidence."

"Unlucky coincidence for her," Rose said, looking towards the bedroom, "at least when Jasper finds out."

"This is _not _going to be a repeat of the Swami Dave incident!" Esme said firmly.

"Uh huh, sure it isn't. So...Mstislav found her, drugged her, and Bella found her and brought her back here? That seems like a pretty big coincidence, too, don't you think?"

"That part was _not _a coincidence. Upon returning, Mstislav put together a pack full of supplies and managed to get Bella alone to speak to her. He told her about drugging Agent Vlodak, and he played upon her fears a bit, I'm afraid. He convinced her to go up there and take supplies, which he'd also pilfered from us at some point, and care for the woman while we were all otherwise occupied down here."

"Hmph! Jesus, that girl is a danger magnet. I would say something about her also being incredibly naive or stupid, or both, but I've seen the way that thing works his charm on the rest of you, so I'll have to concede that she probably didn't stand a chance against his silver tongue. He's a danger to us in any form he takes." Rose sounded more than a little disgusted.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to go get the cooking supplies," Esme said.

"Wait!" Carlisle yelled.

"What?"

"You probably smell like her. You've been handling her. Alice, you go. I don't want Mstislav to smell her."

Rose looked at him in disbelief. "_Smell _her? The thing is back in human form, Carlisle."

"They still have enhanced abilities, some of them quite strong, especially this close to the transformation. I don't _know _if he could smell her, but I'm not taking any chances."

"He's chained up, right?" Rose asked, looking between Carlisle and Esme. "He _is _chained up still, isn't he?"

"As long as Emmett hasn't done something stupid, yes."

"Well, that means we're probably in trouble, then," Rose said, harboring no illusions about her mate. "Maybe _I _should go down and get the cooking things."

"No," Esme said firmly. "Emmett knows you too well, and you can't hide anything from him."

"I most certainly can!" Rose said, clearly affronted.

"No, you can't," Alice said. "He'll know you're pissed off about something, and it will take no time at all for him to figure out exactly what it is. He's had 70 years to figure you out, Rose. I'll go get the cooking stuff."

"Leave it on the back porch when you get back, dear," Esme called after her softly. "You're supposed to be missing, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

A few moments later, they all heard the sound of things being set down on the back porch. "I told Emmett you wanted to make something for Mstislav but didn't want to be down there while he might still be dangerous," Alice said softly from outside. "I think it will work. I'll be down at my cabin if you need me."

"Is any of this going to work?" Esme asked her, watching Carlisle carefully.

"I have no idea," Alice said, sounding frustrated. "I don't know if it's because of Mstislav, or if there are just too many variables. We'll just have to fly blind on this one, I'm afraid."

"That's becoming all too common an occurrence," Rose said bitterly. "We have _got _to get that wolf out of here!"

"I agree," Esme said. "Now, Rose, can you help me set up the kitchen?"

"Sure, why not," Rose said. "I almost wish I could eat popcorn. I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a show."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Bella smiled into the bed of moss they were lying in. "You know what? Moss smells brown. The ferns smelled green, but the moss smells brown."

"It smells _brown_?" Jasper asked. Bella could feel him smiling against her back from where he lay atop her in the moss. "Have you been indulging in some LSD and didn't tell me, babe?"

"No!" Bella giggled. "I just noticed they smell different. One smells brown, one smells green."

"Hmm...and what color do I smell like?"

"Gold," she said firmly. "Definitely gold."

"Really?"

"Yep. The gold of your hair, the gold of your eyes... Definitely gold."

"I'll take it," Jasper said.

She could feel his light touch beginning to trace the werewolf-inflicted scars on her back. It was a regular ritual for them, and she knew kisses would soon follow his fingers. She shivered in anticipation. They were as sensitive as ever, in a way that other scars she carried never were. Jasper had told her the same was true of the scars he carried from the werewolves. They'd talked to Carlisle about it, but he had never heard of it before. He'd speculated that it might be because of residual poison, or a permanent effect on their bodies _from _the poison...or perhaps it was just because of the introduction of another's venom into their system when they'd cleaned each other's wounds.

Whatever the cause, Bella couldn't argue with the results. It was a pleasant outcome to a most unpleasant event. It wasn't as if she'd ever be able to forget what had happened. It might as well have something pleasant tied to the memory.

"Maybe we should think about getting back," he murmured against her skin.

"Think about it all you want. Just don't take any action." Bella quickly flipped over on her back but remained underneath him.

"Hmm...your wish, pretty girl." He leaned down and began to kiss his way up one of the scars that ran along her ribs, finally reaching her breast after a deliciously tortuous length of time.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

**Something else I'm sure about:** I really AM that evil.


	20. Chapter 20

**Something I'm sure of:** Elk bugling can be very creepy and disconcerting. Google it.

**Something I'm not so sure of: **If that's _really_ what Jasper and Bella sounded like.

**Something else I'm sure of: **I haven't thanked Jasper's Destiny nearly enough for her help and support. Love you, babe!

**Chapter 20**

"Well, you certainly look a world better than when Carlisle brought you home yesterday," Esme said brightly as Carlisle assisted Christina into the main room of the cabin. "Would you like to try some soup? Or maybe something a little more substantial?" Esme looked at Carlisle, who nodded slightly. "I'm afraid the choices are rather limited under the circumstances." She gestured around at the makeshift kitchen, which was equipped with a camping stove and various implements clearly meant for cooking in a camping environment.

"I feel better," Christina said, her voice barely above a whisper. Carlisle helped her to sit down on a bench at the makeshift table. "Something else will be lovely. The broth was fantastic, but I think I'm ready for something more now."

"I'm sure you are, dear." Esme got to work, talking over her shoulder as she prepared things. "I can't make any promises. Nothing fresh, you understand. Our kitchen isn't quite finished. Actually, it isn't even _started_, as you can see, but I think I can manage pancakes. Tell me, what in the world were you doing out in the middle of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park?"

"I was on vacation..." Christina said hesitantly, sounding confused. "I...I hired a plane that took me into the back country. I wanted to decompress a little after my last assignment. It was a little traumatic..."

Esme made a little noise of distress.

"Oh, not _your_ son's case! Well, that was traumatic, too...no offense...but I was in Moscow before that, trying to trace down a human trafficking ring. A month of work, and the trail just dried up and disappeared. I mean, I can't really discuss your son's case with you. I probably shouldn't have said anything about the other one, either..." She still sounded dazed, though her voice was a little stronger than it had been.

"Let's just say you were on vacation and leave it at that," Esme said firmly. "I had no idea those outfitters would just drop you in the middle of the forest like that! I mean, Carlisle found you _miles_ from any trail, even."

"They didn't. We landed up in the mountains and hiked down to a cabin near some hot springs. I don't remember much after that...certainly not how I got to where Dr. Cullen says he found me."

"Well, you _were_ more than a little bit sick when I found you," Carlisle said gently.

"I...what were _you_ doing out there, if I may ask?" Christina asked, a brief flash of her Agent Vlodak persona coming out.

Carlisle laughed. "You may. I was panning for gold. A hobby of mine—all perfectly legal within the park boundaries. I heard what sounded like a wounded animal. At first I was going to head in the opposite direction—it's definitely not a good idea to mess with the wildlife around here, especially when it's hurt—but then I realized the sounds were actually words. So I followed them, and about a mile from the stream I found you, stumbling through the trees. You can imagine what a shock it was for me."

"Yes..." Christina said, clearly trying to remember any of this and not having much success. "Where are my clothes?" she finally asked, beginning to look suspicious.

"Oh...well..." Esme looked embarrassed. "They were in rather sorry shape. Very torn up...and soiled," she said, her expression conveying just what sort of soiled she meant. "I'm afraid we burned them."

"You _burned_ them?" Christina asked in disbelief.

"Except for your shoes and socks. The rest were beyond being recoverable, really, and we had no way to clean them up—and we don't have garbage service out here. I hope that isn't a problem." Esme now turned to look at the woman, her face schooled into an expression of worry.

"No..." Christina said, her initial feeling of anger at the news quickly fading away. It was replaced by a need to reassure Esme. "No, that's fine. Thank you for the clothes," she said, pulling at the sweatshirt she was wearing. "I assume they're yours?"

"Yes. And you're welcome." She turned back to the stove.

"I'd like to make a phone call, if that would be possible. If my phone is still even charged," she added. "What day is it?"

"Wednesday. The twenty-second."

Christina groaned and dropped her head to the table. "I'm missing 5 days!"

"You were very, very sick," Carlisle said, seating himself across from her at the table. "Sick enough that I didn't want to chance taking you into town to the clinic. You were going into shock from prolonged exposure. Nothing that wasn't easily treated, but it needed to be addressed immediately. I always keep a stocked medical bag with me, so it seemed best to just treat you here. You've been here since yesterday afternoon. You had nothing with you when I found you. No phone, no I.D. You are more than welcome to use my phone to make any necessary calls. I'm sure your friend is worried about you."

Christina lifted her head and snorted. "Not likely. I told my _partner_," she emphasised the word, "that I was going to be out of touch for ten days. He most likely hasn't even missed me yet."

"Well, you'll probably want to be contacting the outfitter. They should be willing to go retrieve your belongings. It was probably a foolish decision to maroon yourself in the back country like that, alone."

"Hindsight being 20/20, you're definitely right about that," Christina murmured. "I'll make those phone calls after we eat."

"Oh, we ate earlier," Esme said brightly, coming to the table and setting down a plate of pancakes in front of Christina. "But you go ahead and enjoy. I only made a few. Too many will just make you ill again. And I'm afraid there's no butter, only syrup, and water to drink."

Christina eyed the water distrustfully.

"It's bottled," Esme reassured her. It wasn't really, but she'd at least boiled it for several minutes.

"What you had was most likely not giardia," Carlisle said gently. "You hadn't been out in the wilderness long enough to have started feeling the effects of _that_ particular bug."

"How did you know that's what I thought happened?" Christina asked, her suspicious mask back in place.

"You talked quite a bit in your fever. You also kept insisting that wild animals were trying to kill you, not that that wasn't a legitimate concern in the condition you were in. You really were rambling on quite a bit, and I'm pretty sure you were hallucinating at a couple of points."

"Yeah...I probably was." She took a cautious bite of pancakes.

"How are they?" Esme asked.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," Christina said, taking a larger second bite.

"Is there enough for one more?" Mstislav asked from the doorway.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"I swear, Carlisle," Emmett hissed, glaring across the room at the two figures seated at the table eating pancakes, "I don't know _how_ he got out! One minute he was chained up, the next he was tearing back down the lane from the direction of this cabin, yelling that he needed a bath and clean clothes."

"And you didn't feel the need to _share_ this information?"

Emmett glared at Carlisle now. "Like you shared _this_ information?" he hissed, gesturing at Christina.

In spite of the fact that they were speaking at levels a human should not have heard, Christina turned to look at them, concern in her eyes. Carlisle tried to smile back in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. He wasn't sure how successful he was, though, because she flinched and quickly turned away again, focusing on her pancakes once more.

"I was hoping to have her _gone_ before we let him loose!" he grounded out. "I _told_ you to make sure he stayed chained up."

"Yeah, well, just call him Houdini, then! And how was I supposed to know it was going to be such an _issue_? He was clearly rational, and he clearly _stank_. He needed a bath. So I followed him down to the river, to keep an eye on him. You know, because I was at least _trying_ to do what you told me to. He bathed, got dressed in clean clothes, and said he was coming up here for breakfast. Seemed pretty reasonable to me, since Alice had come down and confiscated all the cooking equipment for Esme. But I came along...you know, just to make sure his idea of breakfast wasn't trying to take a bite out of the rest of you. And what do I find? A cozy little breakfast scene, complete with the person I _least_ expected to see at the table." They both turned to look at the group at the table.

"Oh, this is Mstislav. He's, um, helping us. Roofer. Yes, he's fixing the roofs for us. We met him up in Tok..." Esme was explaining to Christina.

"Yeah, I remember him...on the roof." Christina was nodding, not taking her eyes off Mstislav while she continued to slowly make her way through the stack of pancakes. Mstislav made no pretense of eating slowly, and he was already almost done with his first stack.

"Good Lord, you're hungry!" Christina said. "You're inhaling those like a wolf at a sheep convention."

Esme dropped the mixing bowl and it shattered on the floor.

"I'm starving," Mstislav said. "How do you say it in America? They've been ...keeping me chained to the grindstone."

If Carlisle could have choked, he would have. Amazingly enough, Emmett seemed to have mastered that particular human response, and Carlisle was forced to pound him on the back to get him to stop.

"Are you all right, Mr. Cullen?" Christina said, turning to look at them in concern again.

"Fine...fine," Emmett said, between gasps for air. "Where's Rose?" he asked Carlisle. "And Alice? Do they know about this?"

"Oh, yes," Carlisle said, grimacing.

"Bet _that_ went over well."

"As well as you can expect. Look, I'm really hoping to get her _out_ of here."

"How's that going to work, now that Mstislav has seen her?"

"I have a feeling that Mstislav's visit is wrapping up, even as we speak. I'm quite sure he's done with the roof and can be taken back to Tok at the same time we take Agent Vlodak."

Emmett snorted. "You are _so_ optimistic." He looked around the cabin, then behind him as if he could see through the closed door. "Jasper doesn't know about this, does he?"

"No, and I'd _really_ like to keep it that way."

"Swami Dave," Emmett muttered, shaking his head gravely. "It's Swami Dave all over again."

"No, it's not!" Carlisle said, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"So...what do we do now? How are we playing this?"

"We're going to go grab some more firewood," Carlisle announced to the room in general, grabbing Emmett's arm and dragging him through the back door.

"Isn't it sort of warm for a fire?" they heard Christina ask Esme.

"You _were_ very sick," Esme said. "And it was rather chilly last night. Carlisle just wants to be careful with you."

"Ah...okay. So, Mstislav, where are you from? That is a very interesting accent."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"And so that's how Agent Vlodak came to be eating pancakes in our cabin," Carlisle finished up.

Emmett was, for once, speechless. At least for a brief moment. The unfamiliar silence was interrupted by the echoing sound of Jasper and Bella's carnal activities echoing from somewhere in the forest across the river.

"Jesus, it's a good thing we brought them all the way out here," Emmett said, shaking his head. "We never could have stayed near town with that shit going on. Do they ever quit?"

Carlisle looked at him in disbelief as the sounds began to increase both in volume and intensity. "I hope that question wasn't serious. I know you have perfect recall, Emmett, so you couldn't possibly have forgotten the first, oh, I don't know, 40 years of _your_ life?"

Emmett had the grace to look a little sheepish. "Yeah...I'm just practicing."

"Practicing _what_?"

"Trying to be a parent. You and Esme make it seem so easy."

"Well, there's more to being a parent than looking askance at your children's sexual activities. If that was all it took, Esme and I would have failed long ago."

The sounds seemed to be reaching some sort of crescendoing conclusion and were more than loud enough to be heard by the human in the cabin.

"What the _hell_ is that?" Christina asked.

Carlisle and Emmett looked at each other and grinned, waiting to hear Esme's response.

"An elk. I think it was an elk, bugling."

They heard Mstislav snort.

"Doesn't that happen later in the summer, or in the fall?" Christina sounded puzzled.

"No, no..." Esme's voice was strained, "they, um...they start early sometimes. It's definitely an elk."

"Oh. Huh. I never expected it to sound like that for some reason."

"Bugling elk...?" Emmett said, incredulous, before collapsing on the ground in laughter.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"Are you thirsty?" Jasper asked. "Want to hunt?"

"Mmm...yeah, I could go for something."

"I think I caught a whiff of moose when we were back in the moss."

Bella turned her head and looked back through the trees in that direction. "Was it a brown moose?"

Jasper looked down at her from where he was perched one branch up. "Mmmhmm...most definitely a brown moose. It smelled very brown. You know, you probably shouldn't lie on the branch like that. You'll get sap all over your tits."

"My tits are just fine," Bella said.

Jasper swung down and carefully straddled her on her branch, settling himself down on her thighs. "Yes, yes they are."

"Jasper..." Bella giggled. "I don't think this branch is strong enough for both of us."

"Sure, it is!" he said, leaning over her to grab the branch past her head. He lowered his weight onto her very slowly before kissing her neck. "We just have to be very..." kiss "...very..." kiss "...careful."

"Then why did you just insist that we each have our own branches for that last little experiment of yours?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining. It turned out very nice. I think I should tell Rose about it. She'd be impressed. Although, I think next time I want to be on the upper branch. Having to look at the ground was making me dizzy."

"It was just that—an experiment. Now, I want to try _this_" he said, using one hand to lift her hips slightly while he tried to nudge her thighs apart.

She kept them firmly locked in place and giggled. "I don't think this is going to work."

"Sure, it will," Jasper said, trying to force his knee between hers. He reached down and carefully grasped her shoulder carefully in his teeth. "Open up," he mumbled.

"What? I can't understand you" she said, giggling again.

"I _said_..." he said, letting go of her shoulder, "open up."

"If you insist," Bella said. "But I want to go on record as saying this is a very, very bad idea."

"No, it's not," Jasper insisted, the hand he was using to lift her hips up now working its way around her torso and down to the juncture between her legs. "It's a very, very good idea," he murmured, lowering his head to once again grasp her shoulder in his teeth.

And it _was_ a good idea, Bella reflected briefly before all rational thought fled. She was reduced to a quivering mass of vampire, vocalizing her approval of his actions loud enough to frighten off any nearby wildlife, including the moose intended to be their next meal.

In hindsight, she later reflected, they probably would have been okay if she'd just _remained_ a quivering mass. It was moving on to being a writhing mass that really caused the problem. Being right about the branch was little consolation a few minutes later as they came crashing 60 feet to the ground, Bella's startled shriek traumatizing the wildlife far more than the earlier noises had.

"Well..._that_ was fun," Jasper said, trying to pick twigs and pine needles out of his hair. The sap was making it difficult. "I think this isn't going to come out without some soap."

"Oh, come on! Don't give up so easily," Bella said, attempting to help him with the needles.

"Seriously, Bella. We need to at least run back and get some soap. Chances are, Alice will have some waiting for us down by the river. We are coated in this shit. What the hell made you do that? I told you to hold still!"

"You told me to be _careful_," Bella corrected him. "You _know_ I can't hold still."

"Hmph!" Jasper grunted.

"I _told_ you..."

"Shhh..." Jasper said, holding his finger to her lips. He instantly regretted the action when his finger stuck to her lips. "Oh, for the love of...!" He jerked it back, and it came away with a slight ripping sound.

"You are _so_ lucky I'm not human!" Bella said, rubbing her lips. "That would have hurt."

"If you'd been human, your lips would have been the least of your worries after that fall. Come on, let's get some soap and get this shit off of us."

"Um...I don't want to go back yet," Bella said stubbornly, thinking about what—or who—might be waiting for them back at the cabin.

"We don't have to _stay_," Jasper said patiently. "We'll get the soap and leave again. We can stay out here for a while. Well, I guess that will actually depend on Carlisle and what ends up needing to be done with Mstislav. I guess Emmett and I need to finish _that_ adventure. But, you know, now that the heat is off of us with the FBI, we should have a lot more freedom."

Bella tried not to flinch. "Okay. Well...soap would be good...but can we at least hunt first? I'm _really_ thirsty now, Jasper."

Jasper looked down at his sap-covered hands and body. "Sure..." he said reluctantly.

"Excellent!" Bella said, taking off into the woods in the opposite direction from the cabin.

"This is going to suck," Jasper muttered under his breath, before following her.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"Well, those two are getting on like a house on fire," Esme said, sounding extremely pleased as she joined Carlisle and Emmett on the back porch. "I think there won't be any problem just packing them both up, driving them to Tok, and letting them sort themselves out there. I think our job here is done. Surely you don't feel any further need to help him, Emmett?"

"Nope, not a bit," Emmett said. "We're more than even for the arm. One mate, hand delivered to his doorstep, complete with a bow...so to speak."

"Good. Let's hurry before Jasper gets back," Carlisle said.

"Well, we have to wait until Rose and Alice get back," Esme said. "They took the Tahoe back to the house with them," she reminded him. "And Peter and Charlotte still have the truck."

"God dammit!" Carlisle hissed. "They couldn't have just run?"

"_You_ asked them to pick up more food in Glennallen, Carlisle. It would have looked a little suspicious if Rose had walked in from the woods."

"Well, I thought they would be back by now," Carlisle said testily.

"They said it wouldn't be until morning. The store was closed last night."

"And of course Alice didn't see any of this mess with Mstislav because...it involved Mstislav." Carlisle sighed. "Well, not to panic, they should be here any moment. It's almost 9 AM. The store should have been open by now."

"Right," Emmett agreed. "No need to panic. Jasper and Bella are still safely occupied. Hell, they just refueled, so they could be good for another day or two."

Esme grimaced. They'd all heard the terrified death wails of a moose a few moments ago, in spite of the fact that it had probably been a good ten miles from the cabin. It hadn't sounded like a clean end for the animal.

"Listen!" Emmett said, cocking his head a little. "The Tahoe."

Esme and Carlisle both stilled, their eyes unfocusing a bit as they strained to hear the vehicle. Emmett's draw to his mate had alerted him to its approach before he could actually hear it, but after a moment they, too, could hear the sound of its engine.

"Fantastic..." Carlisle breathed. "You go tell Christina we can take her into town as soon as she's ready. With the lack of any amenities around here, surely she'll be ready to go immediately. She's still weak, but I'm sure she can take care of herself. We'll drop her off at the clinic." Carlisle knew he was rambling, but he wanted the human _and_ the werewolf out of their hair as soon as possible. "If there are any questions about Mstislav departing, we'll thank him profusely for his work and tell him to grab his things."

Esme nodded and re-entered the cabin, where they could hear Christina and Mstislav talking quietly. They were evidently exchanging life stories—as much as Mstislav could, considering he was clearly unwilling to reveal the full truth about himself, a fact for which Carlisle was more than a little thankful. He wasn't sure how he would have handled it if the werewolf had decided on full disclosure, but he was fairly certain that ending the woman's life would have caused some small amount of distress. And with the Volturi no longer a threat, Carlisle had still not come to a satisfying decision on what he would do if the truth about them were discovered, somehow, by humans. Even without the Volturi around, the idea that it would be a _bad_ thing was a very sound one.

Giving his head a shake, trying to dislodge the unpleasant thoughts that had lodged themselves there, he started to follow Esme into the cabin when Emmett reached out to stop him.

"I think we have a problem," he said. "Listen!"

Once more Carlisle listened. The Tahoe was considerably closer now, within a mile or two of turning into their drive, but only a few miles beyond was the distinctive sound of their truck.

"Peter," Carlisle whispered.

Emmett was silent, watching Carlisle for instructions.

"All right, you need to intercept him up at the road. Quickly now!"

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"I don't think any of this is really salvageable," Jasper said, looking around at the bits of fabric spread about the small clearing in the forest.

"Well...we're so sticky we could just, you know, stick the bits of cloth over all the important parts."

"Or, I know, we could just embrace our inner vampire and go up to the cabin like this. Do you honestly have a problem with nudity?"

"Um...in front of _other_ people? Yeah!" Bella said, looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"You sure were singing a different tune in Siberia."

"I was out of my _mind_ in Siberia, Jasper."

"They're family, Bella, not just strangers off the street."

Bella looked at the ground, and Jasper could feel how self conscious she suddenly was.

The scars.

Shit.

How could he have not remembered? As covered in them as he himself was, how could he have forgotten how she might feel about her own?

"Right," he said softly, drawing her to him and trying to ignore the way they stuck together due to the sap. "Okay, then...well, look, I don't have a problem with it, so how 'bout I go up and get the soap while you hide in the woods?"

"NO!" shouted Bella, pulling away from him with an odd suctioning sound.

"All right, all right!" Jasper said, holding his hands up in defense. "We can just stand at the river and holler for somebody to bring it down to us."

"No."

Jasper sighed. "We can hide in the woods and yell."

"No."

"Well, Christ on a crutch, Bella, what the hell do you want us to do?"

"I want us to stay out here just a little longer."

"No," Jasper said.

Bella cocked an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything.

"_Look_ at us, Bella! We are coated—_coated_—in pine sap, to which various bits of pine needles, leaves, moss, _moose_ fur, moose _shit_, and moose blood has adhered itself. Oh, and did I mention the moose entrails? How the hell did even _you_ manage that one?" Jasper tried pulling moose parts off him but only succeeded in tearing things and making it worse. The sap truly was evil.

"He was running away. I was hungry," Bella said sullenly.

"Well, we're going to get soap. God, I hope Esme has some of that Goo Gone shit she uses."

"I never pictured you as a particularly fastidious person, Jasper," Bella said, still trying to delay the inevitable.

"I'm _not_! But this...sap shit...I can't stand it! It's gross. We're going. Here, wrap my shirt around you like a skirt and put yours back on. I think there's enough there to cover up most of...well, you know...the scars." He tossed the remains of his t-shirt at her, then pulled hers off a tree limb.

He hesitated a moment, and Bella felt a wave of panic sweep over her. Not breaking eye contact with her, Jasper buried his nose in her shirt and inhaled deeply.

"Bella?" he growled softly.

"Yes, Jasper?" she asked, the words coming out in a squeak.

"Would you like to explain to me why your shirt smells an awful lot like Agent Vlodak?"

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

**Things ****you ****should ****ALL ****be ****sure ****of ****by ****now**: Agent Vlodak was very, very sick. Oh, and I am still evil.


	21. Chapter 21

**Something ****I ****know ****something ****about****:** Goo Gone is amazing. It can get almost anything off your skin.

**Something I know nothing about:** Ford trucks and their engines, let alone the company's upcoming design plans.

**Something I'm sure about:** This was a hell of a lot of fun to write.

**Chapter**** 21**

Bella looked at Jasper, trying to find an answer to his question. "I...well, Mstislav...and then Carlisle—"

"Bella?"

"Yes?" she asked, her voice sounding very weak.

"Where is Agent Vlodak right now?"

"At the cabin?"

"Is that a question or an answer?" he asked, his voice stern.

"Carlisle took her to the cabin. I don't know if she's still there..."

Before her words were finished, Jasper had spun around and started running for the cabin.

"Jasper! Wait! You can't go back there! She mustn't see you!" Bella hollered, running after him.

Jasper stopped and waited for her. "She shouldn't have seen you, either, Bella! But she did. It's a little late, she's already seen too much."

"But...but Carlisle said he could fix it. She's really sick! He said he could make her believe it was all a hallucination. He said he could fix it, Jasper!"

Jasper considered this for a moment. "Well...if anybody could, it'd be Carlisle. He's had to clean up a lot of messes through the years. It _would_ be better if we didn't have to kill her..."

"I don't want her to die," Bella said, miserable at the thought of playing a part in something that would lead to somebody's death—a death that could be traced back to her own actions and choices. It was almost as bad as draining somebody, without the feeling of euphoria to sort of counterbalance the guilt. "I couldn't leave her there... Mstislav...oh, God...!"

"Hey, hey! Don't! Come here," Jasper said, pulling her into a hug. "Why don't you tell me what happened. I don't want to kill her either, Bella, but you have to understand that sometimes that's necessary, to protect us all. Although I can't imagine a worse person to have stumbled upon us, so to speak. I'd like to smack that stupid werewolf. In fact, I think I will first chance I get."

Bella managed to get the bare basics of the story out fairly quickly. Jasper was quiet for a few minutes, considering her words. "Well...here's what we're doing. We're going back, and I will speak to Carlisle—_without_ showing myself to the human—and find out if he's got things under control."

"You won't kill her?"

"Not immediately," Jasper said, his voice grim. "Not unless there's no other choice. Don't worry, Bella, Carlisle can work wonders on humans. Although, I wonder...Mstislav is still there, so that could take this mess to a whole 'nother level."

"But the Volturi are gone. We don't _have_ to kill her."

"The law was—_is_—a sound one, Bella. Just because the Volturi are gone, it doesn't mean we shouldn't maintain secrecy. Surely you can see that."

"Yeah," she said, still quiet. "I can see it. I just—"

"I know. Come on, let's go back now."

Bella took his proffered hand and they ran slowly back towards the cabin.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Peter was coming.

Emmett wasn't quick enough. Before he could take off to intercept Peter, a dismayed Esme was opening the door, Christina right behind her. "Sorry," she mouthed to Carlisle and Emmett, who had, fortunately, halted his flight before Christina could see him disappear.

"Agent Vlodak says she's ready to leave whenever you are, Carlisle. And Mstislav says he's finished up the job on the roof and can be packed and ready to go in just a few minutes," Esme said brightly, her tone and words not matching the panic that was starting to show in her eyes.

"Well, as soon as, um, Rose gets back with the Tahoe, we can go," Carlisle said. At that moment, they could all hear the roar of the vehicle as it pulled up in front of the house, screeching to a halt and sending gravel flying.

"Is that her?" Christina asked.

"Sounds like it," Carlisle said, striding through the house to the front door. He hoped against all hope that Alice was _not_ in the truck.

"Sounds like she's in a hurry," Christina observed, hot on Carlisle's heels, along with Esme, Emmett, and Mstislav.

"Sounds like it," Carlisle agreed. In a lower voice, unheard by the human, he added, "Alice, if you're in that truck, I swear to God you better hide."

"Rose!" he shouted as he left the cabin, trailing his parade behind him, "how many times have I told you _not_ to do that? Tires are neither cheap nor easy to come by out here!"

Rose was already circling around the front of the truck, and she rolled her eyes. "Sorry, _Dad_. I'll try to remember next time. Here are your groceries." She held out two grocery sacks, and Carlisle had no choice but to take them. Without looking, he transferred them to Esme, who was standing behind him. He could hear the truck getting closer, almost to the driveway now. Thankfully, Peter did not appear to be an overly fast driver.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Carlisle said, trying not to grit his teeth. "Why don't we all go in the house and get some coffee while we wait for Mstislav to pack his things?"

"Oh, you're leaving us?" Rose asked the werewolf, her tone overly sweet.

"Yes. My work here is done," Mstislav said, his eyes not leaving Christina. She, for her part, did not appear to notice his stare. She was too busy looking around in interest. "I'm going back to Tok to see about some job leads there."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Well, good luck with that. It's been nice knowing you."

To Carlisle and Emmett's distress, nobody was moving particularly fast back towards the cabin. In fact, the only one that had moved at all was Mstislav, who had headed down the lane to his cabin, presumably to pack his belongings up in anticipation of his imminent departure.

"What is _wrong_with you?" Rose hissed at Emmett.

"Peter is almost here," Emmett said softly. "I was going to intercept him, tell him to keep going, but it's too late now. He's already in the driveway."

"Oh, for Christ's sake!" Rose snapped. "I'm sure the man has sunglasses on him. He and Charlotte have made it _this_ long without detection." She turned to hiss quietly at Mstislav, who had apparently decided to re-join them and was now standing too close to her.

"Where's your truck?" Christina asked Carlisle.

"My truck?"

"Your truck. You were driving a truck in Tok. You're all here, but there's no truck."

"Oh..." Even the human could hear the truck by now, and before Carlisle could get any further in his answer, the truck itself came into view, bouncing down the rutted drive. "A neighbor borrowed it," Carlisle said, loud enough for the vampires in the approaching truck to hear. "And speaking of neighbors, here are Charlotte and Peter now, returning it."

"Charlotte, Peter...and a friend," Emmett said quietly, seeing that there were three figures in the truck.

"Shit!" Esme said. "Who is that? And why did Peter have to bring him back now? His timing sucks!"

Everybody, including Christina, turned to look at her in shock.

"Crap. Did I say that out loud?" Esme asked.

"Oh, yeah..." Rose said, not bothering to hide her feral smile. "Where is that popcorn?"

The truck pulled to a stop and Peter hopped out, evidently oblivious to the human in their midst. Or maybe, Carlisle would reflect later, he just didn't care.

"Carlisle!" Peter said. "I know you didn't want anybody brought back here, but you have to hear what he has to say, and I thought it would be better to bring him here in case...well, anyway, this is—"

An enraged roar came from the woods beside the cabin, and Jasper—naked and still covered in sap and various detritus—came running out of the woods. Screaming in rage, he ripped the door of the truck off and dragged the strange vampire out of it, throwing him across the yard before attacking again.

"Natan," Peter finished.

Before anyone, including the vampires, could really process what they were seeing, an equally naked and sap-covered Bella came running into the yard.

"STOP HIM!" she shrieked. "Oh, my God, Jasper, STOP IT! Don't kill him! He was only trying to help! Don't hurt him!" She ran towards the fighting vampires, who were nothing more than a blur of motion accompanied by animal snarls and roars.

Peter was quicker, though, and grabbed her around the middle, dragging her back to the group. She struggled to get free, but he was larger and stronger and had her wrapped securely in his arms. "Oh, no you don't, Miss Bella. Stay out of this."

"He's going to _kill_ him!" Bella wailed. "And he was only trying to _help_ me the only way he could!"

"Is that the same Natan...?" Carlisle asked Peter.

"Yep. Best to just let them fight this out," Peter said firmly. A strange look came over his face and he looked down at the struggling vampire in his arms. "Why are you naked, Miss Bella? And what the hell do you have all over you? Is that...tree sap...and...stuff?" he said, sounding disgusted.

"It's tree sap," Alice confirmed, appearing in their midst. "They broke a tree. Jasper never would listen to reason in those situations, I swear."

"Alice!" Carlisle said, annoyance clear in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

Alice shrugged. "It's a lost cause, Carlisle. It's Swami Dave all over again. No sense pretending otherwise. And I wasn't about to miss out on this fine sight of man candy fighting on the front lawn."

Bella shrieked louder, in anger this time, and turned in Alice's direction.

"Oh, calm down, Bella! I'm not after your mate," Alice said, disgust in her voice. "I'm just admiring the view. And there's no reason for me _not_ to admire – certainly not to just to keep up some pretense that flew out the window the minute Jasper caught scent of Natan in his territory. Really, Peter, what the _fuck_ were you thinking bringing him back here with you? Not that I'm complaining... He's definitely got potential."

"Alice!" Esme said, clearly shocked.

Alice shrugged again. "It is what it is, Esme. And if Jasper doesn't dismember and burn him first, I might just want to get to know this Natan a little better."

"Alice!" Emmett said, sounding more shocked than Esme had.

"Oh, give me a break, Emmett!" Alice snapped. "It's been over TWO FREAKIN' YEARS! And a girl's got needs," she said, mimicking his words from a few years earlier, her voice a perfect imitation of his lower bass tones.

"Please!" Bella begged, her attention back on the fighting vampires. "Can't you stop them?"

Peter ducked as an appendage—it looked to be Natan's hand—came flying past his head, hitting a startled Mstislav in the face. Mstislav reacted as if he'd been burned, grabbing the hand and throwing it into the bushes behind them. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. Not at all. Jasper will either burn him when he's done or not. _That__'__s_ when you can plead your case, Miss Bella. Until then, leave it be. Jasper's got a lot of pent up anger towards Natan. It shouldn't take much longer now. I warned Natan he wouldn't be a match for your Jasper."

The pair had circled the yard now, forcing the group of spectators to rotate a bit and move back towards to the porch. Suddenly Natan was thrown into the front of the truck, causing a sickening metallic crunch. When he fell to the ground, the left front quarter panel followed him, along with bits and pieces from the engine inside.

"God dammit, Jasper!" Rose shouted. "I can't fix _that_!"

"Oh, let it go, Rose," Emmett said. "We'll be getting a new one, anyways. You know you don't like having to match paint, and that door was a total loss the instant Jasper pulled it off. Maybe we should go with a Ford next time. I read where they're going to be coming out with a new fuel injection engine."

"Hmph! Maybe. I'll look into it." Rose seemed momentarily distracted from the fight.

Throughout the whole conversation, Christina was slowly backing away from the group. Suddenly, though, Charlotte appeared behind her, stopping her would-be escape.

"I wouldn't try leaving just yet, Agent Vlodak," Charlotte said quietly, a hint of a threat in her quiet voice.

"Are you threatening my mate?" Mstislav's equally quiet—and threatening—voice came from the other side of the agent.

"Not a bit," Charlotte said. "But she's not leaving here any time soon."

"I think I'll be the one to decide that," Mstislav growled.

That got Peter's attention. Not letting go of Bella, he dragged her along when he leapt to Mstislav's side. "You better back away from my mate, wolf."

"Tell her to back away from mine, then, _vampire_. She won't be your meal today—or ever!" Mstislav growled, shoving Peter hard enough to send him back a step. Bella wasn't expecting either of the sudden movements, and she squealed in distress.

Jasper was immediately by her side, all thoughts of destroying Natan forgotten. He wrenched Bella out of Peter's grip and yanked her behind him, causing her to squeal again. "Back off, assholes!" he snarled at both of them.

"Hey, I didn't hurt her," Peter snarled at Jasper. He didn't take his eyes off Mstislav, though, and he advanced toward the werewolf. Mstislav pulled Christina roughly behind him but stood his ground, glaring up at Peter. The vampire was considerably taller than him, and much more powerful—at least at this point—but Mstislav didn't seem to care.

"Well, you sure were draggin' her all over!" Jasper growled.

Peter turned away from Mstislav to stare at Jasper in disbelief. "I didn't really have much choice, now _did_ I? She's coated all over with sticky shit! She's a walking glue stick! What the hell _were_ you two doing out there?"

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Jasper screamed at him, causing Peter to step back in surprise.

"Jasper," Carlisle said, "just calm down. Nobody is trying to hurt Bella."

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Jasper roared. "He was touching her!"

Bella wrenched away from Jasper's grasp. "He was trying to _protect_ me, Jasper, from you and Natan!" Her eyes narrowed at him and her voice dropped to an angry hiss. "And if it's _touching_ that's set you off, well..." She turned slowly to glare at Alice.

"Hey, _I_ didn't touch him!" Alice protested.

"But you did!" Bella hissed, dropping into a crouch. "Under the place in town. I was _there_. I _saw_ you! I _smelled_ you on him!" She was spitting venom now, and it was hard to understand her words.

"Jasper!" Carlisle said sharply. "Stop projecting! This is getting out of hand!"

"We already had this fight!" Alice shrilled. "And I've got the scars to prove it! I wasn't touching him like that, he was touching _me_!"

Bella's growl deepened.

"NOT LIKE THAT! He was trying to drag me out!" Alice protested louder.

Before Jasper could grab her, Bella launched herself at Alice. They rolled across the grass and slammed into Natan, who had—up to that point—been frantically looking for his missing hand while the rest of the Cullens were otherwise engaged. Natan went down with a howl of pain, but he was able to quickly flip himself out of their way, his missing hand grasped in his still-attached one.

"Fight, fight, fight, fight!" Emmett chanted gleefully under his breath, but he quickly shut up when Jasper's fist slammed into his nose.

"Hey, asshole!" Rose shrieked. "Leave my husband out of this, you fucker!"

"Tell your husband to keep his fucking mouth shut!"

"I don't have to tell him anything!" Rose hissed in Jasper's face.

"Don't pick a fight with me, Rose," Jasper warned.

"Don't threaten my wife," Emmett said, stepping between them.

"Then keep her out of this!" Jasper shouted at him.

"Or what?" Emmett asked. "You'll smear sap on her?"

"This isn't funny!" Jasper shouted.

"You know, it sorta is..." Peter began.

"SHUT UP, PETER!" several voices chorused.

A loud squeal of pain caused them all to draw up short.

"Wow..." Emmett said. "She really _does_ sound like a raccoon in heat. You weren't joking, Carlisle!"

Carlisle looked up from where he and Esme had been trying to help Natan re-attach his severed hand. Seeing that what had started out as wrestling, slapping, and hair-pulling had escalated to biting,he rushed over to his daughters.

Jasper joined him at the tumbling ball of fighting females and grabbed Bella by the waist, yanking her out of the fray. Carlisle grabbed Alice in a similar fashion and pulled her off the ground. Both women continued to thrash and struggle, trying to get at each other again.

"I do _not_ sound like a raccoon in heat, you overgrown baboon!" Alice shrieked at Emmett.

"Um, well, you do...sort of," Peter offered, trying to be helpful.

"Not now, Peter!" Charlotte hissed, slamming her hand over his mouth.

"Oh, my God! You got that shit all over me, Bella! Is that...is that _liver_! I have _liver_ in my hair now! What the hell were you two doing out there!" Alice was livid, pulling a gooey substance out of her hair and staring at it in horror.

Silence descended on the group.

"Liver? Dude...and you've had the gall to make snide comments about me and Rosie's blood play?" Emmett said, breaking the silence after a moment. He was clearly trying to decide whether he should be disgusted or impressed.

Bella giggled.

Alice looked at her in disbelief, then back down at her liver-covered hands. Then she started giggling, too. Soon, they were both lying in the dirt, giggling hysterically.

"You...you..." Alice gasped. "You have leaves all over you! And Jasper...Jasper looks like some sort of demented, blood-covered Nature Boy!"

Soon they were all laughing, to one degree or another. Well...most of them, anyway.

"Jasper, could I have a word with you?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, sir," Jasper said, almost instantly at Carlisle's side.

Carlisle walked away from his laughing coven, Jasper close behind him. "Obviously our little problems have now escalated into much larger problems," Carlisle said, his voice barely loud enough for Jasper to hear.

"Yeah, about that...I just smelled Natan and lost it. I'm sorry. I know it's blown everything else up in our face."

Carlisle sighed. "The fuse on that was lit before you made your, um..." Carlisle looked Jasper up and down and smirked, "...very odd yet impressive appearance. Natan is the least of my concerns right now. I don't know him, but he does not appear to be getting ready to run."

They both turned to look at the vampire in question, who was hovering at the edge of the group, looking decidedly nervous.

"No, I think he'll be staying around," Jasper said, sounding pleased with himself. "He's been a vampire for a while, according to Peter. I think he knows well enough that if he runs before I'm done with him, it'll be the last thing he does."

"Yes, well, hold that thought, if you could. I admit I don't know quite what to do about our very human problem."

"She knows too much," Jasper said, his voice hardening. "It's fairly obvious what needs to be done, Carlisle. That stupid werewolf signed her death warrant by doing what he did."

Carlisle sighed. "We'll have to destroy both of them if we do that, and I hate to do that."

"He's got you just as hoodwinked as the rest of us," Jasper said, sounding aggravated now.

"I don't deny that, although I'd like to think this is about more than just satisfying my curiosity. Not that I'm _not_ interested in seeing just how this would play out."

"You want me to do it?"

Jasper sounded more than willing, and he had a tight rein on any emotion that might accompany his offer, but Carlisle knew his "youngest" son well. "No. You may be my captain, but you're not my executioner."

Jasper shrugged. "It's not a problem."

"I think it _is_, Jasper. That's not a role I want you in, no matter how comfortable you feel in it."

"If this is guilt about what happened when you sent me to Texas last year—" Jasper began.

"No, it's not. You were the best man for that job," Carlisle said firmly. "But this one...any one of us is more than capable of cleaning _this_ mess up, if that's the route I decide to go. But I haven't decided that yet. I need to think about it first. I want _you_ to keep everyone here, in the cabin, until I get back. And Jasper?"

"Yes, Carlisle?"

"'Keep them in the cabin' is _not_ a euphemism for 'kill the werewolf and the human', understand me?"

Jasper smirked. "Yes, sir." He turned and walked back to the group of vampires, who were still giving off heavy waves of amusement.

"I think I have another migraine," Carlisle announced, turning on his heel and marching into the woods.

"Oh, dear," Esme said, stifling her own laughter. Glancing around her at her still giggling family, she decided she had better follow her mate and see if he needed any help.

"I think I should take Christina inside," Mstislav said, looking worriedly down at the woman he held in his arms.

"What happened to her?" Rose asked, and the rest of them turned to look, having almost forgotten about the human.

"She passed out after Jasper punched your husband and broke his nose and it mended itself," Mstislav said stiffly. "Although she was already turning rather green at the sight of the newcomer's hand hitting me in the face."

"Oh. Yeah. Sure, go ahead, take her in," Rose said, waving towards the cabin. "Probably ought to get her a stiff drink if you can find one. Maybe Carlisle has some smelling salts or something in that bag of his. Feel free to search through it. You've already done it once, from what I hear."

"If she's gonna run with the big dogs," Peter said, watching Mstislav carry Christina up the porch stairs and into the cabin, "she better get used to this shit."

Nobody bothered to correct him or yell at him this time.

"I've been meaning to ask since you came tearing out of the forest—what the _hell_ is that hanging off your pecker, Jasper?" Peter said, looking down at the organ in question. "Is that a condom?"

Jasper looked down. "Uh, no. That's some moose intestine. It's a long story."

Peter whistled. "Boy, you two _are_ into some kinky shit..."

Bella turned to Rose, pretending to ignore Peter. Jasper could feel her embarrassment, though. "Rose," she said, trying to maintain some sense of dignity, "you wouldn't happen to know where Esme keeps the Goo Gone, do you?"

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

**A****/****N****:** I'd like to thank HammerHips for WC'ing with me during this chapter. Jasper can thank _her_ for the idea of moose intestines on his pecker. Definitely one of the most fun scenes I've ever written.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** It sounded like everybody enjoyed reading the last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I did not get to write any review replies because RL has been a bitch lately. This next chapter is total fluff. It was written while everybody, including me, was waiting for Carlisle to gather his thoughts.

**Something ****I****'****m ****fairly ****sure ****of****:** Johnny Ace really did shoot himself.

**Chapter 22**

It had taken an entire bottle of Goo Gone, but Jasper and Bella had managed to get themselves clean. When they returned to the cabin, fully dressed and leafless, Carlisle and Esme had still not returned. Peter and Charlotte sat on the steps of the front porch, Peter looking rather dejected. Inside the cabin, a nervous looking Natan sat on one couch talking quietly with Alice. Mstislav and Christina were sitting on the other couch, Mstislav trying to coax Christina into drinking some soup. Emmett and Rosalie stood quietly along one wall, clearly keeping an eye on everyone else, presumably in case trouble erupted once more.

Crossing the room, Jasper gave Natan a hard look that caused him to cringe back against the cushions, but aside from that he ignored the newcomer. Instead, he went to stand in front of Mstislav and Christina, staring at the werewolf until the man finally looked up at him.

"Can I help you?" Mstislav asked coolly.

"I'm wondering what you think is going to happen now. Clearly, things have changed, and we have a major problem on our hands," Jasper said, his voice equally cool. He turned his head and looked pointedly at Christina, who was concentrating on her soup and refused to look up.

"Jasper..." Emmett said warningly. "We need to wait until Carlisle comes back."

Jasper looked at Emmett, then back at Mstislav. "I'm just getting the ball rolling, Emmett. I'm not making any decisions here."

"Well, you're scaring the piss out of Agent Vodka, and we're running out of clean clothes," Emmett said.

Christina winced, Bella laughed out loud, and Rose slapped Emmett's head. "Be nice, Emmett. And her name's Vlodak, not Vodka!"

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood, people!" Emmett said. "Nobody appreciates my humor..."

"_I_ laughed," Bella pointed out.

"This isn't a humorous situation, Emmett," Rose said.

"It _could_ be if you all would just relax a little," Emmett said, sounding stubborn.

Peter and Charlotte joined them, silently gliding into the room and coming to stand behind Natan and Alice on the couch. "Jasper," Peter said, "I'd like to apologize for bringing Natan here, but..."

"Not now, Peter," Jasper said. "I'm sure you had a good reason for it. We don't need to get into that now." His pointed look at Natan let the man know that they _would_ be getting into it later, though. Natan flinched back again and dropped his eyes once more. "We have other, more pressing matters to attend to...as soon as Carlisle gets back," he added for Emmett's benefit.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Christina asked in a quiet voice. "You really _are_ tied into some sort of gang or cult, aren't you, Jasper Hale? And your stepfather is part of it, too, isn't he?" She laughed, but there was no humor behind it. "How far does it extend? Is Charlie Swan part of it? Or are you holding his daughter hostage, forcing his cooperation? What did you get out of destroying an entire Mexican drug cartel? I mean," she finally looked up from her soup bowl and looked around the room, refusing to make eye contact with any of the vampires, "this hardly looks like the abode of a major player. So what was the motivation behind the attacks? I'd like to at least have my curiosity satisfied before I die."

The vampires exchanged confused looks. Had the woman not noticed the...not-so-human aspect of the company she was currently keeping? Or was she in denial...or possibly shock? Jasper couldn't tell, as the emotions coming from her were nearly non-existent. He was leaning towards shock of some sort. He looked to Alice and raised an eyebrow in question. Alice shrugged, looking a little sour. The werewolf was screwing up any visions she might have had to give them some insight.

"Uh, Agent Vodka..." Emmett began.

"Vlodak," Christina said.

"Agent Vlodak...we're not a cult," he told her earnestly. "And we don't do drugs," he added as an afterthought.

"Missing the point, Emmett," Rose said quietly.

"Well, I think she's pretty well hit the point on the head," Emmett said. "It's just like Swami Dave all over again, except this time it's not my fault." He sounded more than a little pleased with the last statement.

"Who the _hell_ is Swami Dave?" Bella asked, glaring at her siblings and her mate.

"Long story, Miss Bella," Peter said, jumping over the couch. Reaching down, he yanked Natan off the couch and dropped him on the floor. He sat and motioned for her to come sit next to him. "Lucky for you, it sounds like we might just have a little bit of time to kill." He jerked his head towards the back of the cabin, in the direction of the river.

A moment of silence in the cabin allowed all the vampires present to hear more than they wanted to about the whereabouts of their illustrious leader and his mate.

"Ewww!" Bella said, plopping down next to Peter. "I'm glad we got out of there before they showed up."

"Yeah, well, they're probably just as happy about that. Does getting clean _really_ need to involve moves sixty-four through sixty-seven of the Kama Sutra?" Rose asked.

"Goo Gone makes an okay substitute for soap when you're a vampire" Jasper said stiffly. "We try to never pass up an opportunity when it presents itself. And, Peter, I don't think now is the time to bring up Swami Dave, considering the present company and all." Jasper looked pointedly at the human in the room.

"I disagree," Peter said earnestly. "It's one of the few Cullen stories I can share with Bella. I want to feel like I'm contributing something to her integration process."

"Couldn't you, I don't know, tell her about the time we all came to visit you and Charlotte 'cause Jasper wanted us to meet you? And we all came down to Houston, and we all went to see Johnny Ace, and Rose got us into the after-party, where you proceeded to drain the dude...and we didn't get to go on vacation for, like, another _decade_?" Emmett said, sounding a bit surly. "_That_ is a fun story. Carlisle still enjoys laughing about _that_ one."

"I don't want to tell that one," Peter said, sounding a little sullen himself. "And he deserved it. He pointed a fucking gun at Charlotte. I'd much rather tell the Swami Dave story. And it's not my fault you got into trouble. Nobody saw me do shit, and everybody there agreed Johnny shot himself. Besides which, why the hell we needed to go see anybody sing is beyond me! We can sound like anybody we want, so why do we need to go see 'em in concert?"

Bella turned to glare at Jasper. "I thought you said you hadn't been back to Houston since you were with Maria?" she said accusingly.

"I'd forgotten about that trip," Jasper said, sounding sheepish. "And we weren't really in Houston proper—"

"Forgotten?"

"Okay, doing my damnedest to forget about it."

"Hmph!" Bella turned back to Peter. "I want to hear about Swami Dave."

"Right. Good choice, Miss Bella," Peter said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. Charlotte sat on the back of the couch, Emmett and Rose moved away from the wall, and even Natan sat up to pay attention. Mstislav stood up and started to pull Christina after him, but Jasper shoved him back down. "Sit down and enjoy the story," he growled, and Mstislav did after a quick glance around the room showed him eight vampires glaring back at him.

"So, it was the sixties, and suddenly everybody was into all that peace and free love stuff," Peter began.

"Not _everybody_, Peter," Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

"Well...a lot of people were. Enough to make _your_ life pretty interesting, if I recall correctly."

"Maybe I should tell the story," Jasper said, avoiding Bella's glare.

"No, because you'll leave out all the _good_ parts," Emmett said, "and I'll come off looking like the bad guy. Maybe I should tell the story."

"No," Rose said, "because you'll try to make it seem like it all made sense."

"It _did_ make sense!" Emmett protested. "At the time..." he hastened to add at the look on her face. "To me, anyway."

"I'll tell the story," Peter said firmly, "because _I_ am an outside observer."

"Let Peter tell the story," Bella agreed. "I want to hear _his_ version of it."

"Right. So, with all those kids wandering around the country, looking for whatever the hell they were looking for, it was easy for the Cullen kids to disperse and do the same thing, so to speak. Even Carlisle and Esme took a break, and if I remember correctly, Carlisle even delivered a baby at Woodstock."

"There's no record of a baby really being delivered at Woodstock," Christina interjected, proving that she _was_ paying attention to her surroundings.

"Well, yeah, no kidding! It wasn't like _he_was really there, either - not 'on the record'. None of this is on the record. Well, most of it..." Peter said, rolling his eyes. "So anyway, Miss Bella, they'd all split up in the latter part of the decade. Esme and Carlisle were in New York, Rose and Emmett were in San Francisco, and Jasper and Alice were hanging out with me and Charlotte." Peter hesitated at this point, realizing he might have made a tactical error. When there was no violent reaction from Bella at the mention of Alice's name, he continued talking. "So, yeah, everybody was doing their own thing."

"Where was Edward?" Bella asked suddenly.

"He...he was in New York, with Carlisle and Esme," Peter said carefully.

Bella nodded. "Right. Go on."

"So, anyway, Emmett and Rosalie were in San Francisco. They went out in '67 for the summer of free love and decided to stay for a while."

"Free love?" Bella asked, her eyebrows going up.

"Told you they were exhibitionists..." Jasper muttered.

"I'm surprised _you_ weren't out there, with all that happy-happy love-love shit floating around," Bella said.

"Too much of a good thing is _not_ a good thing, Bella," Jasper said. "Trust me."

"So..." Peter said loudly, interrupting them. "Emmett and Rose moved into a commune up in the hills out there."

"A commune? With...er...people?" Bella had started to say "humans", but a glance at Christina had changed her mind.

Emmett was nodding. "Yep. It was...sorta fun."

Rose rolled her eyes. "For _you_ maybe. Living with the hairy unwashed for six months was _not_ what I wanted to be doing with my time."

"It was fun, Rose. Admit it!"

"I'll do no such thing, Emmett. For the love of God, they didn't even have real soap!"

"Well, we don't really _need_ soap, so I don't see what the problem was."

"Anyway..." Peter said, trying to get things back on track, "this commune was run by this Dali Lama wannabe named—"

"SWAMI DAVE!" all the Cullens, with the exception of Jasper and Bella, shouted.

"It was actually Maharishi Davadrisohmet," Alice said when the laughter had died down.

"But Swami Dave was easier for Emmett to say," Charlotte said, entering the conversation.

"How many languages do you speak, Emmett?" Bella asked.

"Um...six? No, seven."

"And you couldn't pronounce Davadrisohmet?"

Emmett shrugged. "It was a stupid-ass name, Bella. The dude was from the Bronx. Such a poser..."

"So..." Peter said, "they lived at this commune, and Emmett decided after a few months that Swami Dave was just what was needed to help Edward."

"Help Edward with what?" Bella asked, clearly puzzled.

"Help Edward...stop being so Edwardy," Peter said, as if it was obvious.

"I was trying to _help_ him," Emmett said.

Rose sighed. "Bella, Swami Dave spent all his time spouting 'tame your inner beast' and 'find inner peace' and 'you are love' bullshit. Emmett thought he could help Edward...feel better about himself."

"It could have worked," Emmett said defensively.

"Emmett, I didn't have to be Edward _or_ Jasper to know the guy was full of shit! You just admitted he was a poser!"

"Well, yeah, but I meant about his nationality, not his outlook on life. He had some good shit to say, Rosie!"

"He had some good shit, all right," Alice said, laughing.

"So..." Peter said, glaring at Rose and Emmett, "Emmett convinces Swami Dave to come back to Rochester with him, and—"

"And by 'convinces', Peter means 'lures him with promises of large sums of money'," Alice interjected.

"They drive all the way back cross-country in a Volkswagen Vanagon," Peter continued.

"It was totally awesome, Bella!" Emmett told her. "Flowers on the sides and everything!"

"Meanwhile..." Peter said, glaring at Emmett, "me and Charlotte and Jasper and Alice are living outside of Boulder, Colorado. We'd been there for, I don't know, a year or two?"

"13 months, three days," Charlotte said.

"Yeah, that, when Alice comes screaming back from a moose hunt or some such shit, Jasper hot on her heels, yelling about how they had to get back to New York."

"She'd had a vision, you see, of Emmett bringing Swami Dave home...and things not going well," Charlotte said earnestly.

"So, we all pile in Alice's little red bug, because Jasper had bought it for her and she refused to leave it behind—" Peter said, before Charlotte interrupted him again.

"And Peter and I went with them because Peter was bored and wanted to see the show," Charlotte said.

"And we get about 200 miles from Esme and Carlisle's place when Alice slams on the brakes, spins the car around, and starts driving _away_ from their house," Jasper cut in.

"Which set Jasper off," Alice said, beginning to giggle, "because by then he was convinced something _really_ bad was happening at home, and he just wouldn't listen to me when I kept saying that it was nothing." Alice sounded rather put out at the memory.

"So he yanks the wheel out of her hand, and the Volkswagen goes flying off the road and into a ditch, wrapping around a tree. Thank God it's in the middle of the night." Peter said, rolling his eyes at Jasper. "We crawl out of the car, and Alice starts draggin' _him_ back west and he starts draggin' _her_ back east. Then they get into a screaming match right there on the side of the highway, her sounding like—"

"If you say raccoon in heat, Peter, I swear I'll rip your arm off," Alice said through gritted teeth.

"Like some kind of banshee, and him sounding like a pompous ass."

"Jasper sounding like a pompous ass? I can't imagine..." Bella deadpanned.

"Try," Peter said, equally deadpan. "Anyway, Jasper is convinced by now that Mommy and Daddy are in some sort of deadly peril, the visions of which have sent Alice into some sort of psychic tailspin. Finally, he _orders_ her home with him—"

"One of those 'rare' occasions?" Bella asked Jasper.

Jasper gave a curt nod.

"And boy, what a waste of power," Alice muttered. "Wish he'd saved it for the back seat of a Prius or something. Would have been more fun."

"So, he and a hysterical Alice take off into the night, me and Charlotte right behind them, 'cause I'll be honest, I didn't know what to think. If Jasper was right, well, they might need our help. And I wanted to try and make a good impression, especially after the Johnny Ace thing. And if Alice was right, I didn't want to miss whatever fun stuff was going to go down."

"We get to the Cullens' humble abode a few hours later and everything seems just fine...except Carlisle is yellin' at Emmett, and Esme is hysterical, and Edward and Rose are screamin' at each other."

"I was not screaming," Rose said.

"Yes, you were," Charlotte and Alice said at the same time. "But Esme wasn't hysterical," Alice added. "She was just really really worried."

"Okay, Esme wasn't hysterical," Peter said. "I'll give you that. But it made for a better story."

"Stick to the facts," Jasper growled. "There's no need to make this worse than it is."

"Right. So, things are looking pretty exciting when we arrive, and it's hard to figure out just what the heck is goin' on."

"I'll tell you what was going on," Emmett said.

"No, I'll tell them what was going on," Rose told him. "We rode cross-country in that stupid Vanagon with that pathetic excuse for a human, who spent the entire ride smoking up and popping pills and spouting bullshit about inner chakras. He _almost_ became my first slip-up, but Emmett was totally focused on how much this was going to help Edward, so I kept my mouth shut."

"Figuratively speaking, Bella," Emmett said, ignoring Rose's glare at his interruption. "As in, 'she didn't drain him', not as in 'she didn't say anything about it'. It was a really, really long trip."

"We arrive back in New York, and Edward is alone at the house," Emmett continued. "Carlisle and Esme are off at some sort of herbal healing, soul cleansing workshop in the Catskills. We—I mean _I_—brought Swami Dave into the house and introduced him to Edward. I'd already told him all about my 'little brother', so he sort of knew what to expect."

"Really?" Bella asked. "You'd told him _all_ about Edward?"

"Well, you know, the parts about him being all emo and shit, except we didn't call it emo back then."

"And how did the introduction go over?"

"Not well at all," Rose said, picking up the story, "as you can imagine. Edward was _not_ amused, to say the least."

"It wasn't meant to be funny, Rosie," Emmett said. "I honestly thought it would help."

"You honestly are the eternal optimist, aren't you, Emmett?"

"He's the eternal idiot," Jasper said sourly.

"Anyway..." Emmett said, "while we were discussing the pros and cons of having Swami Dave around, he sort of...wandered off. We found him out in the woods, preaching to a tree. We got him back in the house and set up in a bedroom, where he passed out."

"And that's when we all learned a little something about humans and their drug addictions," Rose said. "Like, the fact that they need to _keep_ taking the drugs once they've started, or else bad things happen to them."

"Yeah," Emmett said. "_Really_ bad things. And they get all weird and shit."

"He _died_?" Bella asked, horrified. It was starting to sound all too much like her own recent experience with a human.

"No, he survived, but it was a rough few days. And I don't just mean for Swami Dave. Lucky for him, though, Edward had already been to medical school a couple times by then and sorta knew what he was doing. So, Swami Dave comes out the other side, all better—"

"Sort of all better."

"Yeah, sort of. Problem is, he was a little more observant than we would have liked. Carlisle and Esme _finally_ get back from their retreat, and I'm in the middle of getting reamed out by Carlisle, when Swami Dave makes an appearance in the room like a fucking phoenix rising from the ashes. He announces that he knows exactly what we all are and then goes on to prove it."

"And that's when he died?"

"NO! That's not when he died. That's when I _really_ got into trouble. I mean, okay, I admit it, I had put us in an untenable position. I thought the dude's brain was too fried to be fully functional—"

"And yet you thought he'd be able to cure Edward of a lifelong depression," Rose said.

"Hope, Rose... I had _hope_. There is nothing wrong with having some hope," Emmett said. "I loved Edward, and I would have done anything to help him. I just wanted him to be a little happier about his life, okay? Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No," Rose said quietly, looking down.

"Okay. So, I guess this is what Alice saw at first, because at this point Edward announces we just need to, you know, get rid of the problem, which upsets Esme. But Rose agrees with him. And that's when all the yelling _really_ starts. But while they're yelling, Swami Dave slips out of the house and takes Carlisle's car."

"He stole his _car_?" Bella asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Not a move we were expecting. He stole it and was on the highway before we could stop him. Alice wasn't with us to warn us, and it was _way_ before cell phones. Hell, we didn't even _have_ a phone line to the house, it was so far out in the woods. So, Edward takes off after the car, but Swami Dave is driving like a bat out of hell, like the devil himself was on his trail, which," Emmett said, his voice growing reflective, "I suppose, in his mind, it was. Swami Dave heads straight into town and manages to find the police station, and he's pouring his heart out to the cops as Edward arrives. Now, someone dressed like Swami Dave might not have drawn a second glance in San Francisco, but he _really_ stood out in Upstate New York. So, of course they threw him in a cell. Edward heads back to the house, where the debate as to Swami Dave's fate _really_ gets started."

"And that's when we arrived," Peter said, jumping in. Clearly he was more than ready to take the story back over. "So, we arrive to all hell breaking loose. You'd have thought Aro, Marcus, and Caius were all getting ready to arrive instead of them losing some stupid human. Again, this would only happen to the Cullens. I point out what I think is the obvious answer, only to be told in no uncertain terms by several Cullens that that was _not_ going to happen. But, really, the law is the law, and if the one problem wasn't taken care of, the second one would be arriving on the doorstep in some way, shape, or form. So I decide I'll just do them all a favor."

"And that's when he dies?" Bella asked.

"Will you quit interruptin' me? No, that's not when he dies!" Peter said. "Jasper here pulls me aside and tells me it's not my problem and it'll only make things worse if I'm the one to take care of things, and he tells me I won't really be helpin' by tryin' to help. That it's not my responsibility. He tells me to keep everybody occupied and focused on their arguments, keep the shit stirred up as it were—though why he'd think I'd be the one to pull that off, I have no idea—while he goes and cleans things up."

"So...what happened next?" Bella asked, looking around at the vampires.

"Jasper is what happened next," Rose said, breaking the silence. "Once again, as usual, the story ends with 'and then Jasper ate them and we had to move'."

"There was no choice, Rose," Jasper said. "And I couldn't let it be on any of your heads. My hands were already dirty. One more didn't matter."

"There never _is_ a choice, Jasper, to hear _you_ tell it," she snapped back at him.

"Oh, good God, Rose!" Alice said, standing up. "Just _how_ was that one supposed to end, hmm? It was you and Emmett that brought Swami Dave home in the first place! But neither of you could take responsibility for your mistake! It was so much _easier_ to let poor Jasper be the hangman, once again!"

"So..." Bella said slowly, "the moral of this story is don't bring home humans?"

"At least when Jasper's home. It can never turn out well," Rose said.

"It turned out okay for me," Bella said.

"Did it? Really?" Rose demanded. "Because, you know, you almost went the way of Swami Dave."

"I _know_ what you and Jasper wanted to do to me, Rose," Bella snapped, standing up. "He told me already. And I don't care. I'm _happy_, even with all the horrible, horrible, horrible things that have happened and everything. I'm _happy_! And you know what, Rose? Fuck you!" Bella sat down again, with enough force to break the legs of the couch and send her, Peter, Charlotte, and Alice tumbling onto the floor.

"I really _am_ going to die, aren't I?" Christina asked.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

**A/N:** There you have it. The story of Swami Dave! On a different note, I'm going to be leaving on vacation in a couple days and will be gone for a couple weeks. Camping and Hiking in the mountains. Which means...no internet. Which means no update next week. Sorry... But hey, maybe I'll run into the Cullens while they're out hunting bears!


	23. Chapter 23

**Did you miss me? :)  
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I didn't see any of the Cullens in the mountains. There was, however, a woman who was attacked on one of the trails and stabbed multiple times, before managing to escape and make it to the road to be rescued (she survived). We were only a couple miles away on another trail when it happened, and it made me think that meeting a vampire in the mountains probably wouldn't be all that much fun, anyway.

**Things ****I ****know ****a ****little ****some thing ****about****:** Gossip spreads like wildfire across human communities; this happened long before the internet, the telephone, the telegraph, and the postal service. If everything is enhanced after "the change", can you imagine the power of the new and improved grapevine capabilities vampires must have?

**Chapter 23**

"You're not going to die," Mstislav said, glaring at the vampires. None of them replied to this, they only exchanged glances amongst themselves.

"What? What?" Christina asked, her voice going up an octave as panic set in. "I _am_ going to die. You aren't going to let me go now... I know too much! You just lured us up here, didn't you? Lured us up here to kill us... Oh, my God, is Quinn dead? Did you kill him already?"

"Agent Anderson is safely back in Washington D.C. already, so cool your jets," Rose said, her own voice cool.

"How do you know?" Christina asked, clearly becoming more panicked. "Why should I believe you? You could be lying!"

"Well...you have _no_ reason to believe us, and we _could_ be lying. You'll just have to decide what you want to believe," Rose said. It was obvious that _she_, at least, did not care which choice the agent made.

"Nobody is going to hurt you," Mstislav reiterated.

Emmett snorted. "Like you could stop us."

"Nobody is doing anything to anybody," Jasper said, his voice firm, clearly daring any of them to challenge him. "Until Carlisle gets back," he added as an afterthought.

"But," Natan said, his voice a low almost-hiss, "she _has_ to die. It is The Law...and while you do not indulge, there are three of us who do. There is no problem here that I can see."

He began to rise from the floor and his eyes fixed on Christina, quickly changing from bright red to black, but his head met Jasper's descending fist. "That includes _you_, Natan, so sit down and _stay_ down. You're already so far up my shit list that you're the corn on top. Don't push your luck, boy."

With another soft hiss, Natan sank back to the floor, his eyes changing back to a brilliant red.

"Nice going, idiot," Peter whispered, leaning in to him. "I _told_ you to be on your best behavior. That includes not eating their company, dammit!"

"But she's _human_."

Peter rolled his eyes. "I _told_ you to expect weird shit. Now, just keep your mouth shut."

"But The Law says—"

"They _are_ The Law now, so just shut up!"

Christina had begun to hyperventilate.

"What is she doing?" Bella asked, watching the human in fascination.

"It's called fear, Bella," Rose said, sounding disinterested. "They do this when they think they're going to die."

"She smells...really, really good" Bella observed. She leaned in closer to Christina, inhaled deeply, and her eyes turned black. "_Really_ good. Better than a few minutes ago."

"It's like seasoning," Natan explained, taking a deep breath of his own. "Exquisite."

"Dammit, Bella!" Jasper said, his voice shaky now. "Stop it. You just fed." His own eyes had darkened now, and Charlotte and Peter were watching the human with renewed interest from their place on the floor near the fallen couch. Even Alice's eyes had started to darken. Mstislav started growling and moved to shield Christina.

"I can't..." Bella hissed.

Christina whimpered.

"SHIELD, Bella!" Jasper demanded. "NOW!"

Bella's head swung toward Jasper. Apparently his words had an effect because suddenly a calm descended over the room.

"Thank you," Jasper said, his eyes golden once more. Everyone relaxed, and the atmosphere lightened again.

"Wow..." Emmett said. "She can really do that for you?" He eyed Bella in appreciation.

"Yep," Jasper said, nodding and smiling at his mate. "And once I can get a handle on myself, I can calm everybody else down. As long as she's with me, I'm good to go."

"You can say that again," Rose muttered.

"I think I'm going to vomit," Christina announced.

If she'd been able to see it with her human vision, she might have been impressed with the speed with which all the vampires in the room moved away from her.

"Get a bucket!" Mstislav yelled at nobody in particular.

"No dice, dude," Emmett said. "There's only the one, and she's been using it as a toilet. I'm no expert, but I don't think she'll want to puke in it."

"Well, a big bowl then!" He was beginning to sound frantic, and Christina was turning a definite shade of green.

"Uh...we only had one, and Esme dropped and broke it," Emmett told him. "_You_ were there, man."

"Esme dropped a bowl?" Rose asked, surprised.

"Long story," Emmett said.

"Take her outside!" Jasper shouted, and Mstislav moved to comply, helping Christina off the couch and leading her to the door. Unfortunately, they didn't quite make it all the way out. With a groan of distress, Christina doubled over and emptied the contents of her stomach all over Alice's feet.

Alice looked down at her feet, back up at Christina, then back down at her feet. "Oh, my God..." she announced to no one in particular. "Uh...I'm going down to the river to clean up, and I don't care who is doing what, or where they're doing it. I don't care if you make any decisions while I'm gone, either, as long as they involve getting this damn wolf out of my life. I can't continue living like this."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Alice passed Carlisle and Esme on her way down to the river. They were talking quietly and walking slowly up the slope towards the cabin.

"Alice? Is everything all right?" Esme asked, concern in her voice.

"Fine. Everything is just peachy," Alice hissed, not stopping as she stalked by them.

Carlisle and Esme both wrinkled their noses at the smell coming off of her as she passed.

"And, _yes_, I'm more than aware that I stink," she snapped at them. "If it comes to a vote, I vote we get rid of the one who keeps leaking everywhere and the one who prevents me from seeing it coming. I never thought I'd see the day when I became prejudiced, but apparently that day has arrived. The sooner this is a vampire-only coven, the happier I'll be."

"Well," Esme said, watching Alice disappear through the trees, "I guess if Christina is still 'leaking', that means she's still alive, right?"

Carlisle nodded. "But perhaps we'd best hurry, before she 'leaks' on a much less understanding person."

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do now?"

"None at all. Honestly? I'm hoping Mstislav has something to contribute."

Esme snorted. "Not likely. He's probably got only one thing on his mind right now."

"Yes, and that could be a problem, too. How is he even going to explain that to Agent Vlodak, let alone convince her that his feelings are real? I honestly had visions of him attempting to woo her in a more human setting, letting her come to terms with things in a way she could better understand."

"We don't even know if she feels anything for him. Although...there was definitely a connection between them over breakfast, so maybe there's hope."

"We're going to need more than hope, I'm afraid. Well, let's go see if everyone is in one piece."

Climbing the porch steps, they paused for a moment and exchanged a silent look before entering the cabin. Apparently Alice's feet had not been Christina's only victim. Bella was heating water on the camp stove and grumbling unintelligibly to herself while Emmett and Peter appeared to be cleaning up the mess in the main room. Charlotte and Rose were in the bedroom with a hysterical Christina while Mstislav paced back in forth in front of the door, Rose occasionally snarling at him to stay the hell out. Jasper was also pacing around the front room, alternating growling at Mstislav and hissing at Natan whenever the vampire in question so much as twitched.

"Well," Esme said, sounding relieved, "at least Jasper hasn't killed anyone."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence, 'mom'," Jasper said, sarcasm prominent in his tone. He glared at Esme as she and Carlisle entered the cabin.

"It's not from lack of wanting to," Peter said, standing up and throwing his cleaning rag in a bag Emmett was holding. "Can't say as I blame him. We're going to need to get more water. Between people puking and needing to eat and drink, and having to clean up vomit, and Alice insisting on getting that moose liver out of her hair, we're about out. So, if it's all right by you, I'll just head on down to the river and get some."

"I'll help you," Natan said eagerly, jumping up.

"No, you won't!" Jasper growled at him. "And you're not going anywhere, either, Peter. We've got some discussing to do. Emmett can go get the water."

"All right..." Peter said slowly, reluctantly handing over the five gallon water jug he'd just picked up.

"Great," Emmett said, taking the water carrier from Peter. "I'll be back in a few."

"There are three empties on the back porch," Esme told him as he passed her.

"I'm on it," he said with a grin, slipping out the back door.

Peter watched him go with a sigh. "You know, Jasper would always tell us these stories about the odd goings-on in his new family... We never could see the appeal, but we were always entertained by 'em. He never mentioned all the damn work that went along with it, though. I don't ever remember him once mentioning cleaning up vomit back when Miss Bella was still human."

"Bella never vomited. She bled a lot, but she didn't puke," Jasper muttered. "Besides, we _liked_ her. It's different when you like 'em."

"Sorta like getting your own puppy as opposed to taking care of the neighbor's dog for them," Peter said, glancing sideways at Bella to catch her reaction.

"Shut it, Peter," Bella said, but she didn't sound offended.

"See?" Emmett's voice came from outside. "Humor. Don't underestimate its ability to help you get through difficult situations."

"I'm thinking," Carlisle said, his glance going around the room, "that it's fairly safe for me to assume that there is no salvaging this situation?"

"No," Jasper replied, not able to make eye contact. "That's a safe assumption. There was no way you were going to be able to do anything to convince her we were...like her, especially not after our—_my_—little show in the front yard."

"Well, she _does_ seem to want to believe that we're part of some sort of drug cartel, gang, mob, kidnapping ring type of thing..." Bella said thoughtfully.

"More like she's hangin' on to that fantasy," Peter said. "Sorta like wishful thinking."

Carlisle nodded. "Well, it would be easier for her to believe that. It would fit so much easier into her world view. How's that hand reattaching, Natan?" Carlisle asked the vampire who was still seated on the floor near the broken couch.

Startled at having been addressed in words as opposed to hissing, growling, or a fist, Natan looked up. "Uh...fine. Thank you for assisting with it, earlier." He moved to stand up, but he sat back down immediately when Jasper growled in his direction.

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow at Jasper's behavior, and Jasper glared back, daring him to say something. After a moment, Carlisle shrugged and looked away, indicating his acceptance of Jasper's handling of the newcomer.

"And you, Mstislav, what are your intentions now? Is this really how you envisioned this happening?" Carlisle asked quietly, low enough that the human in the other room could not hear.

"Not exactly," Mstislav said, his voice stiff.

"Because, under normal circumstances, I would have no choice but to kill her now."

"But," Mstislav protested, finally looking at Carlisle, "they are dead. Your leaders are gone. There is no need for you to carry out their laws..." Carlisle's pronouncement might have angered him, but in a room full of vampires he knew he wouldn't win a physical fight of any sort. His only hope now was to try talking his way out of things. His normal bravado and charm seemed to have left him, though.

"Do you honestly think I want the humans knowing what my family is?" Carlisle asked in disbelief. "Do _you_, back in your homeland, go around announcing what _you_ are? Admittedly, you are more open than we are, amongst your family, but it is still hardly common knowledge. You would be hunted and destroyed, much as we would be, if the wrong people became aware of your existence. And it is much easier for you to hide amongst them. We may be mythical, and we may be immortal, but we are not indestructible. We are different, we are unknown, and we present a very real danger to them. As things stand now, this woman cannot go back into the world carrying with her the knowledge she now possesses. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. I _am_ more than happy to discuss options with you, if you can come up with any that might be even remotely workable." Carlisle's tone made it clear that he, at least, did not see any viable options.

Silence fell on the room, interrupted only by the soft sounds of Charlotte and Rosalie trying to comfort Christina in the bedroom.

"Carlisle, if I may make a suggestion?" Jasper asked quietly.

"Of course, Jasper. Anything you have that might help us reach a decision would be more than welcome."

"Well...I actually don't have anything useful on that front..." Jasper said, sounding sheepish. "My mind has been...elsewhere. My suggestion is to take care of the _other_ problem first," he said, glaring at Natan, "and _then_, when the smoke clears, we can take care of the _bigger_ problem."

Carlisle looked between Natan and Jasper and nodded slowly. "All right..."

"Carlisle," Rose's voice came from the other room, almost silent, "if that's going to go down now, I think it would be a good idea to sedate the human again, just in case."

Carlisle sighed. "Sure. Why not. Her liver is doomed already, so what's a little more toxin thrown in going to harm things...?" he muttered. "Look in my bag in there, Rosalie. There should be a little purple bottle. Give her one of those; but we're going to really need to keep a close eye on her."

There were sounds of protest now coming from Christina, followed by Rosalie's voice, clearly trying to convince the human to take the pill. Finally, Rose lost patience with her.

"Take the pill, dammit, before I make you. If we were going to kill you, we'd have done it already, and it wouldn't be with a damn pill!"

Silence followed, then the sound of someone swallowing. A moment later, Charlotte and Rose reappeared in the doorway.

"All tucked in for some more sleepy time," Rose said. "Now...what are we doing?" Her words were directed at Jasper, who looked around the room before turning to Peter.

"All right, Peter, mind explaining why you brought _Natan_ back here, when you specifically knew we didn't want any vampires coming back here, let alone _this_ vampire?"

Peter shifted on his feet nervously. "Well...yeah, I knew you didn't want anybody brought back here, but this is sort of a special case..." he trailed off and looked at Jasper, who merely cocked an eyebrow and looked expectantly at him. "I mean...we ran into Natan here in Anchorage. He'd come up here specifically looking for you...and, well, I knew you'd rather meet him in Anchorage, but after he told me the reason for his trip up here, I thought it might be better to just bring him along home with us and let you take care of things here."

"Take care of things?" Jasper asked, clearly puzzled.

Peter waved his hand in Natan's direction, clearly wanting the newcomer to take over his own story now.

"Well?" Jasper asked, also turning to Natan. "Care to share? It's the least I can do, letting you say your piece first before I burn you to ashes."

A noise of protest came from Bella, who'd turned off the camping stove and moved closer to watch the proceedings.

"You sure didn't wait to hear what I had to say earlier," Natan said, slowly getting to his feet.

"Well, you caught me by surprise," Jasper said dismissively. "I don't like surprises. And your timing sucks, on top of it. I'm telling you you can talk now, so..._talk_." The glare he directed at Natan seemed to make the vampire shrink down into himself, and no words were forthcoming. Jasper turned back to Peter.

"Well?"

Peter sighed. "_Apparently_, Natan here headed south after our little run-in with him in Monterrey. He's spent the last several months on the run—"

"On the run from _what_?" Jasper asked, interrupting. He felt his stress levels rising at the thought of yet another source of trouble he might have to deal with.

"On the run from _you_," Peter told him, rolling his eyes. "Apparently, it didn't take a genius to see that while Bella wanted to let him go, _you_ did not. So, he's spent all this time thinking you were hunting him down for the part he played—real or imagined—in capturing and holding your mate. It finally got too much for him, and he decided to just turn himself in."

"Turn himself in?" Jasper asked, confusion in his voice.

"Press for impunity," Peter re-phrased himself.

Bella began to giggle.

"Request a reprieve, call upon your sense of charity, apply for absolution... He craves your clemency, he desires from you a dispensation, he—"

"ENOUGH, Peter!" Jasper said, exasperated now.

"In summary, he wishes to throw himself at your mercy because being faced with an eternity of looking over his shoulder, waiting for you to strike, is not something he found to be at all fun."

"I wasn't even looking for him!" Jasper said, his exasperation combining with confusion now.

"Eternity is a long time," Natan said, finding his voice again. "I had managed to live my entire existence up to that point having avoided the interest of anybody in..._power_. I have been free to roam the world, indulging in my curiosity, and staying off the radar of anyone of any true import. To have earned the anger of someone such as yourself, a powerful man from a powerful coven, was most distressing."

"It wasn't your fault, Natan!" Bella protested. "You weren't there to _help_ Maria—"

"He shouldn't have been there at all, Bella!" Jasper growled. "If you're going to lay down with dogs...or bitches—"

"He _helped_ me, Jasper, as best he could!"

"Helped you? _Yeah_...he really stuck his neck out for you, Bella."

"Jasper," she said, getting even more annoyed, "you're the one who told _me_ how 'real' vampires behave. The fact that he helped in any way at all, did something that put _himself_ in danger, for somebody he didn't know and had no ties to..._that_ should count for something!"

"I'm sure it was a calculated risk, Bella," Jasper said, his voice hard. "One he was willing to take on the offhand chance that you _were_ rescued, one that might save his _own_ life when the time came. And he was right, wasn't he? I let him go, which was a good return for what little he did. He was right to be looking over his shoulder. I might not have ever bothered to hunt him down, but any future encounter would have ended just as this one has done. What I don't understand, though, is this whole 'turning yourself in', Natan. What possible purpose does it serve? It would have taken very little effort on your part to discover that I was _not_ looking for you. The vampire community is nothing if not a bunch of gossipy old biddies."

Nathan looked a little embarrassed. "Yes, it is...and, unfortunately, the story of what happened at Maria's in Monterrey was able to somehow travel faster than I did. Everywhere I went it was already known that Maria had kidnapped Jasper Whitlock's mate and that he had destroyed her and her coven as a result. That alone would have been all right, but unfortunately it was also known that I was there when it happened...and that I was not there with _you_. People want nothing to do with me. There's even been talk of taking my head and sending it to you, as a sort of peace offering. They seem to think it would be proactive and cause you to look more kindly on them, if you ever have reason to look at them at all. So, you might as well destroy me now, yourself, because my life is over no matter what."

Everyone in the room stared at him.

"I know, melodramatic, right?" Peter finally said, breaking the silence. "But...I think he's telling the truth."

"I can feel that he's telling the truth," Jasper said slowly. "I can tell he's sincere about why he's here...and I'm more than happy to help him out with his little problem."

"No!" Bella said, stomping her foot. "You can't destroy him, Jasper."

"Can't I?" Jasper asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"No, you _can__'__t_."

"And why, pray tell, can I not?" Jasper asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Because...it would upset me. It wouldn't be fair. _I _think he helped me. He _did_ help me. We wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for his assistance. Killing him wouldn't be right. Hate him all you want, beat the shit out of him some more if it makes you feel better, but don't destroy him. It wouldn't be right." Bella crossed her arms across her chest, daring Jasper to contradict her.

The silence descended again as the vampires present waited to see what Jasper would decide. After only a couple seconds, though, his shoulders slumped and his posture relaxed.

"Fine," he said.

"Fine," Bella said. "And...and you can't spend the rest of eternity glaring and hissing at him, either. That's no way for anybody to have to live."

"He's not going to be hanging around that long," Jasper said, then hastened to add, "but fine. I'll _tone __down_ the glaring and hissing," he agreed, modifying her demand a bit. "But, if I _ever_ hear of him even _whispering_ against us, I _will_ hunt him down! And if he ever so much as _feels_ like threatening you in any way, it'll be the last thing he feels. And I'm not budging on that, Bella, so don't even try."

She thought for moment, then nodded her head. "Fine. Good. Well, that's settled. That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

"Hmph!" Jasper said, turning away from her to face the room again. He shot a glare of dislike at Natan, backing it up with enough dislike and anger to make the other vampire shrink back in fear. This appeared to satisfy him somewhat, because he nodded and said, "Yeah, it's settled. All right, on to bigger and badder problems."

All eyes in the room—a much relaxed Natan's included—turned to Carlisle. But it was Esme who spoke.

"I don't see why we are even trying to make this _our_ problem," she said. Jasper felt a ripple of surprise circle the room, his own included. Esme rarely offered up an opinion when it came to discussions of strategy. "I mean, we have enough trouble of our own. Do we really need to start shouldering other people's problems?"

"Well..." Carlisle began, trying to come up with an answer but failing.

"The way I see it," she continued, not even acknowledging Carlisle's one-syllable, answerless answer, "it's not even a vampire problem, is it?"

"Werewolves have _always_ been a vampire problem," Peter said, his words almost automatic.

"Really, Peter?" Esme asked. "And how many, pray tell, have _you_ had to deal with in your life?"

"Uh...none."

"Exactly. Werewolves have _not_ always been a vampire problem. Werewolves have been a _Volturi_ problem, a problem that was exaggerated with the express desire to exterminate them," Esme told him.

"But we're mortal enemies! You can't fake that gut reaction, Esme. That's not something the Volturi had to teach us," Peter said, his voice stubborn.

"No, it's not, but that gut reaction tells us to _run_—run and avoid. I'm not denying that we're more than capable of destroying each other, but I'm willing to bet that, when left to their own devices, they would leave us alone, too, am I right?" Esme asked, turning to Mstislav.

He shrugged. "I believe so, yes. Pack behavior is not...natural for us. What you saw in Siberia, in Europe, was not normal. It was the result of a lot of practice, hard work, and control."

"By _you_," Jasper growled. He hadn't been allowed to destroy Natan like he wanted to, so maybe the werewolf instead...

"Put that thought out of your head, Jasper Whitlock, right now!" Esme said. "Now, Peter, werewolves are not even present in this hemisphere. Mstislav might be the first one to step foot on this continent—"

"That's not true!" Peter protested. "There's those things down in Washington—"

"Shapeshifters," Esme said. "Carlisle has never come across any signs of any 'real' werewolves here...and he's been here for a very long time. I'd be willing to bet that there aren't any. Mstislav?"

"I have no way of knowing that. But I would think, if there _are_ any, they are newly arrived. Up until recent times, there would have been no way for us to travel here. We may be able to blend with humanity, but there is that little matter of the moon. We have to operate on a very strict time schedule. And, to be honest, most of us are destroyed early on, even in our human form. It takes years to regain an ability to behave in such a way that you don't stand out in a crowd. And it does not take a very high level of being 'different' before the humans are lighting their torches and pounding down your door."

Carlisle snorted. "I think everyone here can relate to _that_ feeling."

"My point is," Esme said, trying to bring them back around, "is that Mstislav's problem is not _our_ problem, and we should stop making it our problem. Jasper and Emmett agreed to help him locate this woman. They've done so. Maybe not in a way anybody here anticipated, but still, they've done it. Now we can just send them on their way."

The vampires were openly staring in shock now, but Mstislav was looking smug.

"But..." Jasper said. "We'll be implicated—"

"Why? How?" Esme demanded. "We are on the other side of a national park from where she was last seen. To us, the distance and terrain is nothing. To the humans...it's next to impossible. We have not driven anywhere near that section of the park. The human witnesses will all no doubt agree that she was up there, alone, against all advice to the contrary. She will not be the first person to have fallen victim to the dangers inherent in wandering around in the wilderness. But nothing suspicious. Such a tragedy. Of course, we only met her briefly, but she just didn't seem to be the type to be going on a back country adventure in the first place." Esme already sounded the part of a politely distant human saddened at the news of the death of someone she met once. "A tragedy for her, convenient for us. To be honest, we've had to cover up a lot worse."

"Were you planning on taking her back with you, Mstislav?" Carlisle asked, the wheels clearly turning in his head.

"Well, yes," Mstislav said, sounding as if this should have been obvious. "I can hardly live here in this country in my condition. I must have my family around me if I am to continue having any sort of existence."

"And Christina...you intend to make her like yourself?"

"As I said before, I have not made a final decision about that. She would, of course, have some say in this..."

Rosalie snorted in disbelief.

"Well, perhaps we should get some idea of Christina's feelings about all this, in a calmer setting, without a room full of predators staring at her," Carlisle said thoughtfully. "It is always possible that she has felt some sort of pull to Mstislav. It's not out of the question. If she has...well, then, she can go with him willingly."

"And if she doesn't?" Mstislav asked.

"If she doesn't...well, it's not like she doesn't have choices."

"If you call 'death by vampire' or 'unwilling immigration to a foreign country to live with a group of werewolves' choices," Rose said.

"We would live a very nice existence," Mstislav said, clearly affronted by Rose's implications. "I am not without resources of my own, even if I have not chosen to use them on myself in the past. I would give her everything she wanted."

"Except her freedom," Rose shot back.

"She will be free."

"To come back here?"

"She will not _want_ to come back here," Mstislav said confidently.

"Enough!" Carlisle said, holding up his hand. "Letting her continue her life as she knew it is not an option, Rose. You know this."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't like it."

"So," Peter said, "who's going to break the news to her? Or should we just drug her a little more, stick them both on a rowboat, and send them on their way across the Bering Sea?"

"While the idea has merit, and it may well be what we do in the end, I was thinking perhaps someone could speak to her first, maybe try to help her understand what is happening to her. It might make this a little easier to bear, if she had some understanding."

"I can do all that on our return home," Mstislav protested, clearly eager to be on his way.

"Oh, and do you have a boat waiting to take you home?" Carlisle asked.

"No, but how difficult could it be to find one?"

"Do you know how to sail, how to navigate the open ocean?"

"I meant to find someone to take us back, not a boat to pilot myself."

"How _did_ you get here, anyway?" Jasper asked.

"I came on a freighter. I signed on in Magadan and jumped ship outside of Anchorage. Very convenient."

"For _you_ maybe," Rose said, "but I don't see it being quite that easy with an unwilling human in tow."

"Well...no. Maybe your friends with the boat that you met in Anchorage..."

"You can just put that idea out of your mind. There is no way I'm asking Charles and Makenna to do something like that - even if I had a way to contact them" Carlisle said firmly. Jasper could feel that he was lying, though. Hell, Carlisle might have contacted them already.

"Alright. I'll come up with something."

"While you are doing that, and we will help you, believe me," Carlisle said, "somebody needs to talk to Christina—somebody who can, perhaps, relate at least a little bit to what she might be experiencing, to help her understand what might be ahead of her, from the point of view of someone who has recently gone through something similar..."

All eyes in the room turned to Bella.

"Oh, hell no!" Bella hissed.

"What did we miss?" Emmett asked as he and Alice came through the back door carrying the water jugs.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

**A/N/:** Before anybody screams, "The Cullens are so heartless!", think about the books. Most of them were so damn happy Edward had found a woman that they didn't hesitate to agree to change her, ending her human life without much of a second thought, including Esme. Hell, Esme was leading the charge, and she would have bitten Bella in a heartbeat if she thought she could to make Edward a mate. And the only one who was protesting it, aside from Edward, was Rosalie—who, at first, didn't think twice about volunteering to sneak into Bella's room and break her neck to prevent Bella from telling anyone what she knew about the Cullens. The Cullens like humans in theory, to a point, but the safety of the coven/family comes first. Always has, always will.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N**: Sorry I didn't get any reviews replied to lately – I really do appreciate each and every one of them!

**Things I'm sure about**: At this point, not really all that much. I'm about as lost and confused as Christina right now.

Thanks as always to my Beta, JaspersDestiny! Love you, babe!

**Chapter 24**

Bella looked down at the sleeping human woman and felt a sense of déjà vu wash over her.

How often in the long life stretching before her would she experience déjà vu, and why was she experiencing it at all? She'd always thought it was caused by a vague sense that something happening had already occurred. With her vampire memory, she had no problem recalling the exact details of when she had last watched this woman sleep. It had, after all, only been a couple of days.

Her eyes narrowed. It was more likely that she had some sort of weird vampire stalker genes floating through her venom, compliments of Edward. She knew he'd liked to watch her sleep back when she was human. Except...he'd been attracted to her, even then, fascinated with her. She was definitely _not_ fascinated with the human snoring away in front of her now. And to the best of her knowledge, Carlisle had never stalked _anybody_ in their sleep. And Carlisle changed Edward, so he was, essentially, her vampire grandfather...sort of...if vampires thought that way.

She shook her head, trying to dislodge the thoughts, and gently nudged Christina, hoping to perhaps wake her up.

"Don't kick the human," came Jasper's whispered voice from above her.

"I didn't kick her," Bella whispered back. "I nudged her."

"That was a pretty hard nudge, sweetie."

Bella snorted. Whatever. It had been a _nudge_.

At least, she was pretty sure it had just been a nudge.

She sank onto her haunches and waited for signs of life from Christina while her thoughts drifted back to what had happened to put her here in the first place.

"_I don't want to talk to her," Bella protested._

"_But, sweetheart, you're the logical choice," Esme said, and the others nodded. "Out of all of us, you're the only one who was approached by their mate while still a healthy human. You were the only one to have chosen_ t_his life—not," she hastened to add, with a glance at Carlisle, "that most of us aren't happy with our lot, but you have the greatest chance of being able to explain things to her... You found out about our world while you were still human."_

"_Not to mention that she feels a connection to you, Bella," Jasper added._

"_You're not helping, Jasper. I don't _want_ to connect with her," Bella said stubbornly. "And Mstislav chose his life, so let _him_ talk to her. He's the right species, and she's supposed to be his mate, anyway. Let _him_ do this. Besides, they already met over breakfast, and she knows you and Esme, too. Why can't _you_ talk to her?"_

"_Yes, well," Carlisle said, "Mstislav's reasons for choosing his life revolved around revenge for the theft of another woman. All things considered, that might be _too_ much information for her to be confronted with right now."_

_Emmett laughed. "Oh, and explaining to her that a werewolf has chosen her to be his mate isn't going to overwhelm her?"_

"_I didn't say it was going to be easy," Carlisle said. "And Bella doesn't have to do _that_. She can just address any questions Christina has and try to keep her calm. Just...do your best, Bella. You've already established a connection with her. We'll be right here to help you if you need us."_

_The next thing she knew, they all disappeared—except for Jasper, who was perched on the roof above her. Evidently, "right here to help'" meant something completely different to everyone else than it did to her, although she could still hear Esme and Carlisle close by, in the woods._

A loud snore from the sleeping human, accompanied by her turning over in the sleeping bag, brought Bella's thoughts back to the present. She'd been asleep almost six hours now, and according to Carlisle, who had come in to check on her periodically, the medication would be wearing off at any time. Bella glanced at the bottle of water and plate of crackers sitting on a box nearby, thankful that at least Esme was holding off pushing any more of the putrid soup at Christina. Bella was also thankful that the woman seemed to have regained control over her bodily functions.

"She's waking up," Jasper said.

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Just trying to help." Bella couldn't see him, or feel him, but she could sure hear the repressed laughter in his voice.

"That's _not_ the kind of help I need," she growled.

"Okay, okay, I'll be quiet."

"What am I supposed to _say_ to her? 'I hope you like Russia because we're shipping you off with a strange man?' That would make us a human trafficking ring, Jasper!"

"I think you have to move more than one person before you become an actual 'ring', Bella. Taking one person is just regular old kidnapping."

"Still not helping."

With one last particularly loud snort, Christina regained consciousness and sat up in the sleeping bag, looking around her with panic in her eyes.

"You're all right," Bella said softly, in what she hoped was a calming voice. "You're okay."

Christina looked at her, confusion quickly fading to recognition then to horror. "Are you...did I...did I dream all that, or was it all real?"

"Well, that depends..." Bella said, a bit confused herself. "What do you think you dreamed?"

"I...were you naked," the woman asked, looking Bella up and down, "and covered in leaves...and...stuff?"

"Um...yeah, that was real." If Bella could have blushed, she would have. Of all things the woman wanted to know, she asked that?

"Were you in a cave with me?"

"Yeah, that would be me, too."

"Was I sick?"

"Very," Bella said, nodding her head. "Very, very sick."

"Get to the point, Bella," Jasper hissed.

"Hey, if you want to do this _your_ way, get down here and do it! Otherwise, shut up and leave me to my work!" Bella hissed back.

"Am I...am I free to go now?"

Well, _that_ was to the point. Bella hoped Jasper was happy.

"Um, no. Not really, no."

"Mmmhmm..." Christina looked around, taking in everything that was in the room—and no doubt making note of everything that wasn't in the room as well. Herself, the sleeping bag, a box with crackers on a plate and a water bottle, and Bella. "And you?"

"Me?" Bella asked, confused again. "What about me?"

"Are _you_ free to leave, or are they keeping you here against your will, too, Bella Swan?" Christina asked, her voice taking on a tone Bella didn't recognize.

Bella sighed. Really? It was like they were back to square one. Had the woman honestly forgotten everything else that had happened?

"Carefully, Bella..." Jasper's voice whispered down. "She's not feeling particularly stable."

"Uh...I suppose I'm free to leave whenever I want to."

"So why don't you?" There was demand in Christina's voice now, a tone of challenge that had Bella bristling.

"This is my family."

"You have a father, Bella, a father who thinks you're dead. Don't you want to go back to him, to see him?"

Bella looked at Christina. Her face betrayed nothing, but her emotions were another matter.

"Bella...calm down...don't let her upset you, baby. She's only a human."

"She doesn't know anything," Bella hissed. "I don't want her saying these things."

"Bella...gently, Bella. This is good practice, sweetie. Don't let her get to you. She's only a human. Her words mean nothing."

"Only a human," Bella muttered, trying to get herself under control, "only a human, only a human, only a human..."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Christina felt remarkably calm and clear headed, despite the fact that she had just emerged from what she was fairly certain was a very unnatural sleep. The same girl that had been with her in the mine shaft was with her now. She had been with her in the yard of the cabin earlier, had sat near her _in_ the cabin before...before the other women had forced pills on her. Isabella Swan. Bella. And right now, Christina was doubting the girl's own sanity, never mind her own. It appeared the girl was having some sort of conversation with herself, though Christina couldn't quite make out what she was saying.

"Are you all right?" she asked, attempting to keep her tone neutral. One had to tread carefully when dealing with possible unstable personalities.

"I'm fine," Bella snapped, "just ducky."

Christina could have sworn she heard laughter coming from the roof.

"That's good..." Christina said. "So, if I'm _not really _allowed to leave, is there at least a bathroom I can use? The bucket was great while I was sick...and the floor of the cave was even better...but if you have a flush toilet around here, I think I might pledge my eternal love."

"Well, you can hold off on that sentiment," Bella said, "because there is no flush toilet." Christina watched as the girl cocked her head, as if she were listening to something, before continuing. "But we have an outhouse?"

"Are you asking me that or telling me that?" Christina asked.

"Telling. We have an outhouse," Bella said, sounding more sure this time.

"Well, it's a step up. As long as it has toilet paper, I'm happy. Show me the way."

Bella helped her get up off the pallet on the floor then turned and exited through the door that led to the outside. Christina followed and watched as the girl hesitated for a moment before heading down the steps, toward the woods, pointing out a small building behind a couple of large trees.

"Thanks," Christina said.

"No problem."

It had to be the cleanest smelling outhouse Christina had ever been in. In fact, it looked brand new, and it smelled as if it had never been used before. Of course, Carlisle _had_ said they were in the process of fixing things up. If she could trust anything he said, he had clearly been lying about quite a bit. She wondered what else he had been lying about.

"Hungry?" Bella asked her when she emerged again.

"I could eat," Christina said hesitantly.

"This way," Bella said, when Christina headed back towards the cabin. "The kitchen is actually down in Mstislav's cabin. Esme just pretended it was in our cabin so you wouldn't think it was odd. But, really, we can't stand the stink. And we don't need it, so why torture ourselves? This is how I'm doing things, and if you don't like it, you're welcome to come down here and do it yourself."

Christina looked around, puzzled. She didn't think the last remark was directed at her. Or if it was, it made no sense. She didn't see anybody else, though. Maybe the girl _was_ crazy. But then again, Christina was pretty sure she was crazy, too. Her thoughts kept drifting back to everything that had happened, and she was trying desperately to convince herself that she'd imagined all of it. Or, at least, most of it.

Everything around her was pointing in a direction she did not like, at all. She didn't like it, and she wanted to refuse to believe it. She had a feeling that if their positions were reversed, Quin would be doing the "I told you so" dance right about now.

"Are you aliens?" she blurted out then wished she hadn't. She felt like a complete idiot.

"No," Bella smirked, "and we're not superheroes either. Any other theories?"

"Not really. I don't believe in...things like that."

Bella shrugged. "Suit yourself. But I'm telling you, we're not a cult either. I'm here because I want to be, because this is my family, because my mate is here, and because I belong here. My...Charlie Swan...knows where I am. I'm not lost, I'm not dead, I'm not in need of rescuing, and I'm certainly not in need of your help or your pity. You should stop worrying about me, Agent Vlodak, and concentrate on worrying about yourself."

"Am I in danger from you?" Christina asked bluntly. It seemed as if the girl was suddenly willing to speak freely, and she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass her by. Anything she could learn could be of help in getting away, even if her gut feeling was telling her she would be going nowhere anytime soon.

"Not from me, no."

"From who, then?"

Bella was silent for a moment, considering the question. "Well..." she finally said slowly, "I'm not sure. I mean, as of right now, nobody is going to hurt you."

"But I'm not allowed to leave."

"That's right," Bella replied, nodding.

"And if I tried to leave, somebody will hurt me?"

"No...but somebody would stop you."

"Who?"

"Whoever's closest. Oh, look, we're here!"

Christina looked up. They'd passed several small cabins as they'd walked down the small lane, all of them tucked back in the trees and in various states of repair. She might have thought it all very quaint if she weren't so concerned with her personal safety. They'd stopped before what appeared to be the last cabin, based on the fact that the dirt road ended in front of it. This cabin seemed to be in very good repair, and she could detect the smell of food coming from within it.

"Mstislav!" the girl yelled.

A man appeared on the small front porch of the cabin.

"Alrighty, then, Mstislav here will be your host for the rest of your stay with us. You two kids have fun, and don't try to leave the area."

Looking incredibly pleased with herself for some reason, Bella turned on her heels and headed back up the road.

"Would you care for something to eat, Christina?" the man asked.

Christina slowly turned from watching the girl's retreating form to looking at the man before her.

Mstislav.

The roofer.

With the accent and the bedroom eyes.

Maybe breakfast would be a good idea. She certainly was hungry. She wondered if he had made pancakes like Mrs. Cullen had the previous morning.

"Yes, I am," she said. If she were indeed being held here, she needed to keep her strength up. And pleasant looking dining company had nothing to do with it. Not at all.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"And you just left her there?" Emmett asked, laughing.

"Yep."

"I can't believe that. You don't take very good care of your pets, Bella."

"She's not my pet, Emmett, and I kept her alive, didn't I? What more can you ask for?"

"Yeah, well, with an attitude like that, Carlisle won't be buying you a puppy any time soon, you can bet on that."

"Speaking of Carlisle," Rose said, "where is he? And where is Esme?"

"They're watching Mstislav's cabin, to make sure they don't run off, and to make sure things go..._okay_," Jasper said. "We're taking turns."

"You got a mouse in your pocket, Jasper? Because Emmett and I are _not_ included in that, I assume," Rose said. "_We _have enough to do already."

"Nope. Just us, for now. And we don't have anything to worry about, I'm telling you," Bella said, throwing a card down. "They're getting along swimmingly last time I checked."

"I thought Carlisle wanted you to...well, inform her a little more fully of her situation."

"Carlisle did say that. Bella chose not to," Jasper muttered.

Bella shrugged. "I tried to tell all of you I wasn't the girl for the job, but nobody listened. Do you have any threes, Rose?"

"Nope. Go fish. You know, I don't blame you, Bella, I'd want to wash my hands of the whole thing, too. Even if it is your fault that she's here."

"Not my fault," Bella said. "I didn't kidnap her. I just made sure she didn't die in that mine shaft. Are you going to go, Jasper, or are you just going to sit there sulking?"

"Yeah, what _is_ your problem, man?" Emmett asked.

"Do you have any fours?" Jasper asked, ignoring the question.

"He's feeling put out because Alice and Natan haven't come back yet."

"Oh ho!" Emmett crowed. "What's good for the gander is _not_ good for the goose, eh? And, no, I don't. Go fish."

"It's not that—"

"It is _so_ that," Bella said. "Get over it, Jasper."

"Hypocrite," Rose said. "Any ones, Bella? At least you don't have to actually _see_ what she's doing, Jasper. Alice got to see you and Bella in technicolor, all over Siberia. And you were fresh out of the bond at the time. That shit had to hurt." Rose seemingly had forgotten that it had affected her far more than it had Alice.

"Go fish," Bella said.

"They're too different," Jasper muttered. "He isn't going to be good for her."

"I don't know...he looked pretty darn good when you were fighting in the front yard... Even I'll give him that. I'd say she's doing just fine right about now," Rose said, smirking.

"I won that fight," Jasper said petulantly.

"Well, yeah...you win _every_ fight. Can't judge a man based on losing to you," Emmett said. "Any Jacks, baby?"

Rose threw a card at him. "And besides, it's not like he's her mate, or like he's going to move in with us..."

"You've got that right," Jasper snarled. "He's a human drinker!"

"That's rich, coming from you!" Rose snarled back.

"Hey, hey...this is a friendly game!" Emmett said, a warning in his voice. "And, considering that the pool of available vegetarian vamps consists of...lets see, three succubi, and the last time I checked, Alice is not a lesbian, her choices are rather limited in the compatible diet department. Go ahead, Bella."

"Any Kings, Jasper?" she asked sweetly.

Jasper sullenly flung a card at her.

"Thank you!"

"You're handling this pretty damn well, Bella. I thought you'd be all over this shit like white on rice," Rose said, nodding in Jasper's direction.

"Well, Rose," Bella said serenely, moving cards around in her hand, "I'm hardly one to point fingers when it comes to irrational behavior. I figure the best thing to do is just let it runs its course. And, obviously, I will lose my shit if he can't keep his mouth shut when the love birds eventually return from fucking in the woods. I'm out," Bella said, laying down her cards.

"Well, I hope it at least includes biting when you do lose your shit, because you know he's going to open his mouth." Rose began gathering up the cards.

"'_He_ is sitting right here, you know," Jasper said, flinging his cards down. "And it probably _will_ include biting. It usually does." He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably in memory.

"Nothing you don't deserve," Rose said calmly. "You shouldn't care what Alice is doing now. You have a mate. Alice deserves some happiness of her own."

"Or at least a good orgasm from an outside source," Emmett added.

"I'm not disagreeing about whether or not she deserves happiness," Jasper said, glaring at Emmett. "I'm just saying...Natan might not be the best choice. I mean, she hasn't even _met_ any of Makenna's cousins. I bet there are some nice guys in that family."

"I think we should just let Alice decide who, or what, makes her happy," Carlisle said firmly, appearing in the open doorway. "There will be nothing said when she returns, understand?" He looked at all of them, but his glance lingered the longest on Jasper, who gave a terse nod. "Now, Mstislav has apparently filled Christina in on quite a bit."

"And how did she take that?" Rose interrupted.

"Not well," Carlisle mused. "I'm not actually sure she believes him. Although, he kept coming back around to the little scene she witnessed in the front yard, followed by the show all of you put on in the living room before she collapsed. Thank you for that, by the way."

"Well, we figured she was gonna be dead soon anyway, so..." Emmett trailed off when everyone glared at him. "What! We did, don't deny it."

"Yes, well, in spite of the evidence staring her in the face, she seems to be in a state of denial. Or maybe she's heading toward a psychotic break. Bella, you'll be happy to hear that she's stopped trying to include you in her escape plans. She appears to have decided to leave you to your fate and to get herself out, first and foremost, though she's planning on coming back with a team to rescue you."

"She told Mstislav all this?"

"Not really. She's taken to talking to herself. Mstislav kind of gave up and is now sitting on his porch looking quite dejected at her rejection. Esme finally went into the cabin to try to talk to her."

"Well, that's just great," Rose said. "How long do we have before she's reported missing?"

Carlisle glanced at the clock. "She's due to be picked up at 2pm tomorrow by the company that took her into the park."

"So...18 hours. Less, really, since we'll need time to plant or hide evidence. What's the plan now, folks?" Rose asked. Silence greeted her question. "Hello, somebody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?"

"We're going to wait and see what Agent Vlodak decides to do, first," Carlisle finally said. "Alice, obviously, hasn't been able to see anything, both because no decision has been made and because any decision made would quite likely involve Mstislav. She promised she would return immediately if she _does_ see something."

"Yeah, like she's going to be looking for anything having to do with _us_ for the next few days," Emmett muttered.

"We'll give Agent Vlodak ten hours," Carlisle said decisively, ignoring Emmett. "I'll talk to her myself here in a moment. _If_ she's made no decision by then...well, I'll do what needs to be done at that point."

"That means we'll probably have to destroy the werewolf as well," Rosalie said, not sounding too displeased by the idea.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, I realize that. I really hope it won't come to that point, but I really see no alternative if we can't come to some sort of understanding before then. Protecting the coven comes first. At least she's given us an easy excuse for her death, choosing to vacation in the back of beyond like she has."

"Carlisle," Esme said, appearing in the doorway beside her mate, "Christina would like to speak to Bella."

"What! No way!" Bella said, shaking her head and waving her hands in denial. "I've done my bonding time."

"Please, Bella," Esme said. "I really think you should speak to her. We need her to come to some sort of decision, and anything to help her in that direction needs to be done. Nobody wants her to have to die."

"Who's watching the lovebirds if you're here?" Emmett asked.

"Oh, Natan and Alice returned. They're down there at Mstislav's, keeping an eye on things. Natan is quite curious about Mstislav... It seems they have been in the same area of the world at the same time on several occasions."

"Of course they have," Jasper muttered. "They'll be best buddies, no doubt."

"Jealous, Jasper?" Rose asked, in a false sweet voice. "You can't expect your werewolf to not make other friends, you know."

"Shut up, Rose."

"Touch, touchy," Rose murmured, a smirk firmly in place. "Did I hit a sore spot, Jasper?"

"CHILDREN!" Carlisle said loudly. "Can we stay on task here? Please? For more than 30 seconds?"

They all fell silent.

"Thank you. Now, Bella, go talk to Christina."

Bella remained seated. "Is this some sort of test?" she asked petulantly. "Keep throwing Bella at the human till she breaks and drains her?"

"No," Carlisle said, his voice full of forced patience. "This is 'keep throwing Bella at the human that she decided to take some responsibility for when she chose to go rescue said human by herself instead of asking for help or informing another family member of the situation'."

The other Cullens shot her sympathetic looks. All of them had been in similar situations before, although never with an actual living human involved. Cleaning up their own mistakes, usually with help, was a part of being a Cullen.

"She would have died!" Bella protested.

"I'm not saying you didn't do the right thing...but doing it on your own was not the best decision you could have made. By comparison, walking down to that cabin and talking to her right now should be relatively simple, Bella. She's asked for you—the least you can do is go speak to her, _now_." His tone indicated it was an order, not a request.

Bella stood up, rebellion still in her stance. She glanced at Jasper, clearly looking for support. He slowly stood and made to follow her, but he kept his eyes on Carlisle, daring the coven leader to deny him the right to help his mate.

Carlisle shrugged. "Go ahead. She's already seen you, Jasper. It's not like it will make things any worse at this point."

"Thank you," Bella muttered.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett hollered after her. "Find out if she likes playing cards! Rose needs a fourth for bridge!"


	25. Chapter 25

**Things****I****'****m****not****sure****of****: **the gory details of _my_ Bella and Edward's love life, but I'm sure they were very happy together, both while she was human and after her change.

**Things****I****'****m****REALLY****not****sure****of****:** federal guidelines for vacation leave or leaves of absence for FBI field agents.

**Chapter**** 25**

Bella and Jasper held hands and walked at a human's pace down the lane towards the last cabin.

"What do you think she wants to talk to me about?" Bella asked.

Jasper shrugged. "Does it matter? I mean, do you even care?"

"No. Yes. I don't know... This is confusing. She's, like, old enough to be my mother. I can't imagine that she wants to be friends. We're not even the same species."

Jasper snorted. "Well, maybe not, but you two have a lot in common. Maybe she just wants proof that supernatural lovin' isn't a death sentence."

Bella stared at him. "Um, it kind of _is_, Jasper."

Jasper shrugged again. "Not the dirty deed itself, just the long-term commitment requirements."

"You're awfully laid back about this whole thing. I'm a little surprised."

"Well...it _has_ sort of eclipsed my YouTube sensation video within the family circle. Anything that directs Rose's wrath away from me is a good thing in my book," Jasper said, smirking.

Bella smacked him on the arm. "Be serious, Jasper. It was an honest question!"

"All right, all right!" Jasper whined, rubbing his arm. "You don't have to hit me. The damage is done, Bella. The clean up will probably be fairly simple. As far as I'm concerned, this is not a threat to you and me. And long term, I don't think it'll be much of a threat to the coven in general. It's not like she can hurt you. And if Mstislav tries, I'll kill him. On the scale of threats, this isn't much above Lauren Mallory trying to get in my pants."

Bella considered that for a moment. "Well...maybe, if you say so. And I guess it's not nearly as annoying, is it?"

"Not in the same way, no," Jasper said, smirking, "not nearly as annoying. I am more annoyed at what my sister is doing with that no-good, dirty—"

"Stop right there, Jasper! You promised me you'd leave him alone."

"Right. Right, I did. Sorry."

Somehow, Bella didn't think Jasper was sorry at all. She didn't bother commenting, though, for they'd arrived at Mstislav's cabin, and the vampire in question was sitting on the front steps quietly conversing with Mstislav. Natan jumped up, and Alice appeared from inside the cabin to stand at his side. She grabbed his hand and started down the steps, with him following somewhat reluctantly. "Bella, Jasper," Alice said, nodding and smiling pleasantly, though her smile for Jasper was a little tighter. Natan mumbled something that sounded like "hello", but he didn't make eye contact with either of them. Bella thought she might have heard the faintest hint of a growl from Jasper, but when she glared at him, he just stared back innocently.

"Right, then," Bella said, taking a deep breath. "I'm going in."

"Jesus, Bella, you're not going into battle. Calm down."

"Thank you, Captain Encouragement."

"I'll be right here if you need me," Jasper said, moving next to Mstislav on the step, very near where Natan had been just a moment before. For a split second, her feelings were hurt until she realized what he was doing. He was not overly concerned about what would happen in the cabin—she could probably drain Agent Vlodak on the spot and Jasper wouldn't blink an eye—but there was no way Jasper was leaving Mstislav unsupervised while Bella was in the area.

Part of her wanted to snort in amusement. Where was he when she and Mstislav were hitching a ride in a truck together? But then again, that had been earlier in the month. Maybe Jasper felt this was getting a little too close to Mstislav being in wolf form for him to be a non-threat. She settled for rolling her eyes at him before turning to enter the cabin.

Both men turned to watch her, and Mstislav flinched slightly when she slammed the door firmly behind her.

"My friend, I have a problem," Mstislav said, sounding dejected.

"Yes, you do," Jasper said agreeably.

"I think my mate may be mad."

"Well, can you blame her? I might be angry, too, if I was in her shoes," Jasper said, deliberately misunderstanding Mstislav. He stared at the door while tasting the emotions coming from within. Confusion, fear... That was the human. Mild curiosity came from his mate.

"Not angry. _Mad_." Mstislav twirled his index finger near his temple, and Jasper wanted to laugh at him.

"What makes you say that? Although, I've got to say, that doesn't surprise me, either. There might have been better ways to go about all this." Jasper waved his hand between Mstislav and the cabin door.

"I may have perhaps become a bit eager, once I actually interacted with her," Mstislav said stiffly. "But things seemed to be going well at breakfast the other morning, before you and your family—"

"Hey, don't blame this shit on us!" Jasper told him sharply, turning to look at him. "You sent a vampire up there to babysit your mistake. You're lucky the woman is still alive."

"You are right, I am a fool." Mstislav seemed to slump even further into himself. "She refuses to speak to me at all, or even acknowledge me, and she talks to herself. Even when no one is in there, she is still talking and pacing."

Jasper shrugged. "I can't help you there."

"_You__'__re_ mate is crazy. How do you handle it?"

"Excuse me? Bella isn't crazy!"

Mstislav stared at him.

"She's not," Jasper continued, in protest.

"Do you forget I knew her in Siberia?" Mstislav asked.

"Okay, I admit she wasn't at her best then, but can you blame her? And you and your...your...people...didn't help matters any."

Mstislav shrugged. "She was already crazy when we first ran across her. I just wondered if you had any helpful advice."

"My advice to you _would _have been DON'T fuckin' kidnap some woman and hope that it's going to turn out well for you. This isn't the 12th century, man. Aside from that, I've really got nothing. But if you really want some ideas, I guess...give it a little time to see if she comes to terms with our, um, world." Jasper glanced at the cabin door again. "You might be surprised at how well she ends up taking it all in once she's had a chance to process things."

"My understanding is that we are operating on a rather limited timeline. Is she not due to be picked up tomorrow at the cabin at the springs?"

"Well, yes, that could be a problem. All right, then." Jasper dropped his voice to barely a whisper, knowing the human couldn't hear him at all, but Mstislav and Bella should have no problem. "You obviously need more time in order to make the sale. We cannot allow her to return to the human world at this point, if ever. And taking off with her right now? Probably not your best option if you want her to like you. But maybe more time will help. We can't give them a reason to come searching for her, though, and we don't want to stage her death, either, in case some sort of...compromise...can be reached." Jasper's tone indicated his opinion of that ever happening. "So...your first step should be to convince her to report to her superiors in order to extend her vacation."

"Do you think she'd agree to that?" Mstislav asked.

"I think if she understands the alternative she will. However," Jasper paused thoughtfully for a moment, "it's possible that there's some sort of code phrase that they—the FBI—use for just such circumstances..."

"Code phrase?" Mstislav asked, puzzled.

"Yes. It lets them know that even though she is saying one thing—'I'm fine,' for example—she means something else entirely, like 'I'm being held against my will'."

"Ahhh...that makes sense. We could...write down what she's supposed to say."

"We could, yes, but...I think it would be better if we just manipulate her in another way. This is where I'll come in handy. I can make her so stinking happy and content that she'll take a six-month leave of absence."

"I don't want you using your magic on her," Mstislav said, sounding angry. "I want her to make the decision on her own, assuming she's capable of making decisions. I want to _woo_her."

"I'm not talking about screwing with her opinion of _you_, idiot! I do have _some_ scruples, believe it or not. I'm talking about making her happy enough to make a convincing phone call and derailing any search that might be started up for her. After that, you're on your own with your 'wooing'. But I gotta say, you'd better come up with a better game plan because what you've got going on so far sucks."

"Oh. Well, then. Yes, that might work."

"I don't think she's actually gone completely round the bend, mind you. She's just...got a lot going on in her head right now. I might be able to calm her down enough for you to carry on a normal conversation, too, but I'm not hanging out and babysitting her 24/7 for you."

"I would appreciate the assistance," Mstislav said stiffly. "You are being more helpful than I expected."

"Yeah, just an old softy, that's me," Jasper said with a snort. "I'm all about peace, love, and understanding."

Within the cabin, Bella suddenly choked, drawing both males' attention back to what was happening behind the closed door.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"So..." Bella said, entering the cabin and closing the door behind her, "Carlisle said you wanted to see me?" She watched the woman pace back and forth across the room muttering to herself. The words were so disjointed that after the first couple seconds Bella chose to ignore them.

Christina stopped pacing. "You're Isabella Swan."

Bella nodded. "Yes, I am. I thought we'd already established that."

"You're supposed to be dead."

"Well, by many definitions I _am_ dead," Bella said, feeling a smirk forming on her face. She'd definitely been hanging out with Jasper too much.

"You married Edward Cullen before you were...whatever you are now...knowing that he was...whatever he was."

Bella wondered if the woman was still truly in denial or just unwilling to say it aloud. "I did," she said, nodding again.

"But he's not here."

"No, he's not. Look, this whole thing might go quicker if you could, I don't know, maybe just spit it out all at once?"

Christina looked at her in silence for a minute and then resumed her pacing.

"Well, all right, then. If you don't want to talk, I've got a question for _you_. Why me? Alice was just here, and before her, Esme. Why me? They could have answered whatever questions you apparently DON'T have just as easily."

Christina stopped again and walked to a window. She looked outside, presumably at Jasper and Mstislav, whom Bella could hear talking quietly on the porch. "Because. I know nothing of their past. But I know that up until a few years ago, you were a normal, very much alive-and-breathing teenage girl. And now...you're not. And from what I can tell, you knew what you were getting into."

"So...I'm no longer a kidnap victim, stolen away by some weird cult?"

"Much as I'd like to believe that, no. I no longer think that is what happened. I think...the world is a lot stranger than I previously believed. My partner, Quin, would be so happy to have some of his hair-brained theories confirmed."

Bella snorted. "It's a _lot_stranger, trust me. But your partner confirming anything really isn't an option."

"I think I figured that out. You...your, um, _people_have done an extremely good job of hiding their existence, unless the population consists of just what I've seen here..."

"Um, no. There's...well, I don't know how many, but there's more of us."

"All over."

"All over," Bella said, nodding.

"And the mere fact that you are telling me this now, so easily, also tells me I won't get the chance to share this knowledge with anybody," Christina said, with a bitter laugh.

"Normally, that would be true. We have...or had...or I guess still have...laws. But you're sort of a special case."

Christina turned to look at her. "A special case? Is it because of the man out there? He is not one of you, is he? And yet, he seems to know what you are."

"No...he's not one of us. But he's not human, either." Christina looked sad at Bella's words. "Sorry," Bella said, her voice softening. "He, um, didn't _bite_ you or anything, did he?" she asked, almost as an afterthought.

"What?" Christina looked puzzled. "No, he didn't bite me. Why?"

"No reason...no reason. So, do you like him?" Bella felt like she was back in middle school with that question.

"I...felt something for him," Christina said softly. "In Tok, when I first saw him, and again yesterday when we were eating breakfast. I don't understand it. A draw, a pull... It's ridiculous! I'm not some teenager with a crush on somebody. I'm thirty five years old, for God's sake! I don't do crushes! And he's the asshole that kidnapped me!" she finished, growing angrier as she spoke.

"Well, do you _still_ feel something for him?" Bella was hopeful that the answer would be yes. If it was, maybe this would be easier than she first thought.

"YES!" Christina growled at her. "I do, and it pisses me off! I have this urge to just sweep everything under the rug and sit down and try to get to know him! It's ridiculous! I mean, do I just have Stockholm Syndrome? But he wasn't even the one to hold me captive! He just kidnapped me, drugged me, dumped me in that mine, and then disappeared!"

"He had a lot going on at the time," Bella said. "He couldn't safely stick around to be a proper kidnapper for you."

"Yes, he tried to explain to me that it wouldn't have been safe." Christina snorted. "Like leaving me for _dead_ was safe?"

"He sent me up to help you," Bella said defensively. She mentally kicked herself. Why was she defending herself to this human? Why did she even _care_ what the woman thought? "Look, if it helps, I think what you feel for him might be similar to what I felt for Edward when I first met him."

"I'm not some seventeen year old girl, Isabella," Christina snapped. "I can certainly understand some teenager becoming enamoured with these creatures. They are beautiful and charismatic. It was pretty obvious from the first meeting that something was off with them."

"I'm not talking about _that_ attraction," Bella snapped back. "I am very much aware of the attraction you are referring to. I _am_ one of "those creatures", now, remember? And _we_ use that as a tool to aid us in our hunting. What I felt for Edward was so much more than that. I strongly suggest that you give yourself a chance to explore that feeling instead of just writing it off. And I'm not just saying that so you can live past sundown tonight. I'm saying it because if you just give it half a chance—give that smelly asshat of a dog out on the porch half a chance—you might find that life could be so much better. I'm not answering any more of your questions, Agent Vlodak. Mstislav can answer anything you want to know, as it pertains to _you_. What he cannot do is 'rescue' you. So, if he feeds you some sort of cock-and-bull story about escaping with him, don't believe him. You have a limited number of options before you now, Agent Vlodak. I suggest you choose wisely."

Bella exited the cabin with a slam of the door. Christina watched her go with a shocked look on her face.

"We're done here," Bella said, grabbing Jasper's hand and dragging him off the porch. "She's all yours, Mstislav. Someone will be back down tonight to get her decision."

"That went well," Jasper said, allowing himself to be dragged along by his mate.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

Lying on the rock in the middle of the river, enjoying the long Alaskan twilight, Jasper finally sighed and rolled over to look at his mate. He broke the silence that had descended on them after leaving Mstislav's cabin. "I'm thinking that might not be exactly how Carlisle thought you'd handle things, though I gotta say it didn't surprise me."

"Well, I guess he doesn't know me very well, then, does he?" Bella snapped at him.

Jasper reached over and stroked her cheek, offering her some physical comfort but leaving her feelings untouched. "No, he doesn't. Not yet. But he'll learn, Bella. Don't be angry with him for sending you down to talk to the woman. And I agree with what you did. This mess with her is Mstislav's responsibility, but she needed to know that she needs to make a decision, and make it quick. I think everybody else was just pussyfooting around. I'm sure Esme was too busy trying to calm her down to be useful, and who the hell knows what Alice said to her. Now she knows. She's not some child in need of coddling. She's a grown woman, a trained federal agent. Of course, that means she probably _will_ make some sort of escape attempt," Jasper said, flopping back on the rock. He'd been keeping watch on Mstislav's cabin, or at least the emotions coming from within, while he and Bella had been soaking up the silence on the rock.

There'd been a lot of quiet talking, and some arguing—all of it too soft for vampire ears to make out the words at this distance. There'd been wildly fluctuating emotions from both the human and the werewolf that had made Jasper's head spin. But to his surprise, there'd been no escape attempt.

The sound of two heartbeats leaving the cabin and coming down the trail towards the river had Jasper and Bella both sitting up on the rock and looking towards the riverbank. A moment later, Mstislav and Christina appeared from the trees. "Why does he insist on thinking that we're his friends?" Bella muttered under her breath to Jasper, unheard by the two across the water.

"No idea," Jasper replied, standing and pulling her to her feet beside him. They leapt across the water, not bothering to hide what they were from the human. Landing lightly beside Mstislav, there was a moment of silence while the two pairs looked at each other, Christina's eyes nervously darting around the group before settling back on Jasper. Recognition seemed to dawn on her, and she took two quick steps backwards, away from all of them.

"You're...you're Jasper Hale!" she said, fear in her voice.

Bella rolled her eyes. Seriously, was the woman only _now_ realizing this? She'd been in close proximity to him in the cabin during Story Hour yesterday and she was just now figuring it out? Of course, she'd probably had other things on her mind at the time, like how she was probably going to die at any moment as opposed to the actual identities of those around her.

"Jasper Whitlock, ma'am, at your service. How can I help you?" Jasper drawled, holding his hand out to the human. Bella rolled her eyes again. And here Jasper had claimed he wasn't one for dramatics. Could have fooled her. Maybe he honestly thought he was setting the human at ease. Since he wasn't following it up with manipulating her mood, though, it wasn't working.

Instead, Christina responded by taking another step backward, her heartbeat and breathing picking up in fear. Mstislav responded as well, stepping back to stand beside her.

Jasper dropped his hand. "So..." he continued, laying his accent on thick and beginning to smirk, "you've reached some sort of decision, I assume?"

"I have," Christina said, her voice reflecting how nervous she was. "Does, um...Dr. Carlisle said he had a phone I could use?"

"Good choice," Jasper murmured, his smirk and accent gone now. "He does indeed have a phone. Shall we head up to their cabin?"

"Yes," Mstislav said, "that would be good. Shall we?" He gestured at Christina to head up the path with him.

"You go on," Christina said quietly, "we'll follow." She looked at Bella as she said it, her meaning clear. Bella gave a sharp nod of agreement, so Jasper started up the trail. Mstislav hesitated for a moment and then joined Jasper. Both males glanced back a couple of times to make sure that the women were following.

"So...you are with Jasper Hale now?" Christina murmured. Bella could have told her not to bother keeping her voice down; both men were no doubt hearing everything said at this close a range.

"It's Whitlock, or Cullen, and yes, I am. We are mates," Bella said proudly, not bothering to go into detail for the human.

"Mates..." Christina said, clearly considering the word and its implications. Bella could tell Mstislav must have explained something of the process, for she didn't seem startled by Bella's use of the word. "He seems like an extremely dangerous man to have for a mate."

"On the contrary," Bella said, watching Jasper fondly as he walked ahead of them, next to Mstislav. "It is a very dangerous world we live in, and he is a very _good_ mate to have—the very best I could have ever thought to have. He may not be why I chose this life to begin with, but he's definitely the only reason I chose to remain in it."

A wave of love washed over her, letting her know how much her words meant to him.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"A leave of absence?" Quin asked in disbelief, staring at his boss in shock.

"Did I stutter, Agent Anderson? That's what I said. A six-month leave of absence." The large man behind the desk began shuffling through his papers, clearly dismissing the field agent standing in front of him. "Apparently, she needs more down time. Doesn't surprise me...she's been your partner for almost eight years now. I'm shocked she hasn't thrown in the towel before this." The last part was said under his breath, but clearly the man didn't care if Quin heard him.

Quin chose to ignore it. "And you just let her have it? No questions asked? Doesn't it seem a little strange to you? I mean, this came out of NOWHERE!"

Realizing that Quin clearly had no intention of leaving, the man sighed and looked back up. "On the contrary, Agent Anderson, in my experience this is _exactly_ how these things generally happen. Agent Vlodak has been going full steam ahead for her entire career with us. Fifteen years, almost. Eight of them partnered to YOU. Burn out was almost inevitable, and _totally_normal. If it takes a _year_ for her to recover and feel like coming back, I'd give it to her."

"I don't like it," Quin said, stubbornly.

"_You_don't _have_ to like it, Agent Anderson, but you _do_ have to forget any ideas you have kicking around in that head of yours about going up there and checking on her. Is that clear? You are to _leave__her__alone_. Let the woman have some peace and quiet! I'm sending you over to London for a few weeks. We've got a group of eight recent graduates that I want you to introduce around over there at MI5."

"Why me?" Quinn asked, sounding petulant now.

"Because _you_ are suddenly available for the assignment. Now, get out of my office and go pack your bags."

Quin wheeled around, anger clear in the stiffness of his back, and quickly left the office. His boss sighed and rubbed his eyes. Agent Vlodak hadn't said anything about her partner, and she'd made no complaint, formal or informal, but it would be totally understandable if Agent Anderson _was_ the reason she needed a break. He'd have to see about getting her assigned a new partner when she returned—after he'd talked to her about it, of course.


	26. Chapter 26

**Things****I****'****m****pretty****sure****about****: ** Pirates 3 came out while Bella was "out of pocket". The 4th movie hadn't come out yet at the time of this story.

**Things****I****'****m****positive****about****:** I have not seen #3 OR #4.

**Things****I****know****you****'****re****not****going****to****be****happy****about****:** I forgot about Super Beta going on vacation...so...you will probably be going a couple weeks without an update. Because Canadians get much better vacation time than Americans do.

**Chapter**** 26**

"So, where are we today?" Rosalie asked as she breezed through the door of the cabin. "Are we going to run off to Siberia and be bitten in order to join our true love and the ranks of the hairy unwashed? Which, for the record, I can't imagine ANYBODY agreeing to. Or are we going to swear on our grandmother's grave that we won't tell anybody, go home and rejoin the ranks of the Civil Servants, and install a super-secret room in our basement for our Lover-with-some-issues?"

"Maybe she _wants_ to go live in a hut in the wilds of Siberia, Rose," Emmett said with a snicker, following his wife inside. "I think Carlisle has Charles and Makenna on speed dial to make a pick-up in case our favorite FBI agent decides to go that route."

"No idea," Bella said, sounding bored and not looking up from her e-reader. She lay sprawled on the couch with her feet in Jasper's lap.

"She lives in a second story walk-up, so the basement room scenario is out of the question" Peter said. He appeared to be holding a skein of wool that Charlotte was winding into a ball of yarn.

"Esme found a property out towards Arlington that has a bomb shelter in the back yard, connected to the basement. Carlisle thinks it would work fine for them." Jasper said, glancing up from his own reader.

"But Christina doesn't think that will work because she has to travel so much with her job; if she can't get reassigned to a permanent desk job, it just doesn't look like that will be an option" Peter pointed out.

"Not to mention she said her partner Quin is WAY too nosy for her to be able to hide something like a werewolf in the basement" Charlotte said, nodding in agreement.

"I have officially fallen through the rabbit hole," Rose said, staring around the group. "How much longer is Carlisle going to let this go on? I mean, I realize all of you are bored out of your minds, stuck even further back in BFE than Emmett and I are, but really. This is NOT the way to entertain yourselves. And Peter, what the hell are you doing?"

Peter shrugged. "Charlotte likes to knit. She doesn't often get the chance to. Got a problem with that?"

"Agent Vlodak took a six month leave of absence, Rose," Jasper reminded her. "We've barely finished month one. Besides which, Agent Vlodak would like to see, first hand, what her options are. She isn't going to jump into anything without understanding it fully."

"Great. So she's going to be in the audience tonight? Not to mention, another possible five months of this soap opera. I can't wait." Rose strolled over to the kitchen area and began inspecting the new cabinets that had appeared since her and Emmett's last visit. "These look great. Carlisle really outdid himself this time." Obviously she was done with the 'werewolf and the agent' topic.

"Where's Alice and Natan?" Emmett asked, glancing around the room as if he thought they might magically appear.

"Down at her cabin," Bella said.

"They haven't, um, you know...announced anything, have they?"

"No, they have NOT," Jasper growled. "Nor will they be announcing anything, if I have anything to say about it."

"Okaay...still a touchy subject, I see," Emmett said, grinning.

"I don't see why you'd have ANYTHING to say with it, Jasper," Rose said, turning away from her inspection of the cabinetry to glare at Jasper.

"It's not like he'd be interested in joining the family, anyway. He's shown no sign of changing his eating habits, and that shit won't fly with Carlisle," Jasper said, sounding petulant.

"WE'RE still here," Peter pointed out, nodding at Charlotte.

"Yeah, but...well...that's different."

Rose rolled her eyes and turned back to to the cabinets. "I wonder if he'd make some for me" she mused, clearly deciding that a subject change was in order. She hadn't been able to decide if Jasper's continued dislike of Natan had more to do with the fact that the vampire had apparently taken an interest in Alice, or was a continued dislike stemming from his perceived role in Bella's treatment in Mexico. And if it WAS the newcomer's interest in Alice, was the dislike irrational, or based on something deeper that Jasper felt from the man. Maybe she'd corner Bella later and ask her. If the girl would ever leave Jasper's side.

"Anything else exciting happen lately?" Emmett asked, plopping down on the floor and leaning up against the couch, trying to see what Bella was reading.

Bella put her reader down and sat up. "Yes! Carlisle said I can go into town! Jasper and I are going to Anchorage to get some of our stuff out of storage. And maybe go to the movies or something!"

"Awesome!" Emmett said, squealing like a girl and rolling his eyes. "Date night! Can I come along? Maybe we could go get our nails done, too!"

"Don't make fun of me, Emmett. It's a big deal to me. And no, you can't come too. It's just us!" Bella said. "After, you know...the full moon stuff is over with"

"Full moon stuff," Rose snorted. "It sounds like we're going to be menstruating or something. You sticking around for the festivities this time Peter? Charlotte?"

Peter nodded. "I think we will. Since y'all didn't get yourselves killed last time. Might not get another chance to see this again - if we're lucky. It's best to be prepared for anything, and since it looks like we might be introducin' a new predator species to the continent, well..."

"Jesus, Peter," Jasper said. "You've been watching way too many nature shows over at Rose and Emmett's place."

"Well, I've got the fix for that," Emmett said. "The last of the stuff came in this morning, so by tonight I should you all set up for jacking into satellites all on your own, and he can start watching too much TV HERE, instead of at Rose and my place." The initial set-up Emmett and Rose had done, for them to all watch the television show that had begun the manhunt for Jasper, had proved to be very limited.

"I think Carlisle and Esme wanted things kept simple here," Jasper said.

"Yeah, well, they can deal with. Rose and I wanted a little privacy,and we're not getting it, what with everybody running over to our place every time they want to download something or watch something."

"You can just take it all down to the third cabin," Esme said, entering the cabin and the conversation. "It's all finished and ready to go."

"Media cabin?" Emmett asked. "Sweet idea! How did I not know about this?"

"Just consider it a present for you and Rose - giving you a little more privacy." Esme said, crossing to him and patting his cheek.

"Thanks, 'mom'!" Rose said, sounding sincere. "Err...did you do the work, or did Mstislav?" she asked, turning suspicious. "I mean...he's starting to smell again, right? You'd never get that out of the wall..."

"Mstislav did outside work, Carlisle and I did all the inside work. Peter and Natan did the cabinetry. Alice and Charlotte decorated."

Natan's name elicited what sounded suspiciously like a growl quickly converted to a cough from Jasper.

"And Jasper most kindly left everyone alone so they could get the work done," Esme said.

"And you, Bella?" Emmett asked his little sister, smirking.

"I kept Jasper occupied so he didn't bother people"

"Great. I've been reduced to a joke," Jasper growled. "Nobody appreciates my skills."

"I appreciate your skills, baby," Bella said, putting down her reader and reaching out to pull him towards her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he settled his weight on her, leaning in to kiss her.

Emmett reached up and yanked him off, flipping him onto the floor, before Jasper could respond to the attack. "None of that, now. We've got tonight to worry about - AFTER you help me install that shit we've got out in the truck."

"I'm just reassuring Bella," Jasper said, sitting up and spinning around to glare at Emmett. "She's very concerned about tonight."

Emmett rolled his eyes and glanced at his little sister. "Yeah, she looks concerned. The picture of fear, Jasper. Speaking of tonight, where is the main attraction? Shouldn't he be tied up already?"

"He is," Esme confirmed. "Christina is down there now, talking to him, with Carlisle supervising."

"Huh. How's that going for them?"

"Mstislav seems a bit calmer at this point than he was last month. Carlisle says it may be her presence, or it may just be because there is only one vampire in attendance. He'd like all of you to keep your distance until a little later, on the off-hand chance that it _is_ us."

"I thought Agent Vlodak wanted a real picture of his TRUE nature," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "Isn't that sort of throwing off the results of the experiment, if he's CALMER than normal?"

"Not really," Esme said. "He'd hardly be surrounded by a coven of vampires in his 'natural environment', at least at this point in his change. The whole thing is going to be a big enough shock for her. This is just a minor detail."

"Minor detail. Hmph. Well, those boxes aren't unloading themselves. Come on, people. Let's get going. I'd like to watch a movie tonight and be able to have the speakers turned up loud enough to drown out the howling."

"So while we're playing 'watch the werewolf', you ladies are going to be watching movies? That hardly seems fair..." Peter protested. The term 'addiction' did not begin to cover Peter's newly discovered obsession with television.

"Hey, we volunteered to take a turn," Charlott growled, aiming a half-hearted kick at him. "YOU were the biggest protester at THAT idea. So don't complain about what we're doing while you all are 'protecting' us 'women-folk'."

"Yeah, that's right, Peter," Bella said.

"You've been a bad influence on my mate," Peter grumbled at Bella. She responded by rolling her eyes and reaching out for Jasper again.

"No, you don't, little sister. I'm in need of some assistance from your mate. Not to mention the fact that Esme probably doesn't want to have to replace a couch quite so soon," Emmett said, standing up and pulling Jasper after him.

"I can help, too," Peter said, standing up with his hands still full of yarn.

Emmett eyed him up and down. "Yeah...maybe you better come along, too. It's about time you joined the 21st century, my friend. I feel like it's almost my social duty to make sure you know how to set up an entertainment system before I turn you back out into the wild"

"Like that will come in SO handy to a nomad," Rose snorted.

"Pursuit of knowledge is never a waste of time," Emmett replied loftily, his voice a perfect imitation of Carlisle's.

"In THAT case, why don't you ask Natan to help you, too? He seems like a curious sort of fellow. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to learn a new skill, too," Rose said, watching Jasper carefully.

"Okay," Emmett agreed cheerfully

"Absolutely not," Jasper said at the same time.

"Oh, come on, dude. Lighten up," Emmett said.

"I see no reason to 'lighten up', _dude__,_" Jasper snarled.

"Well, look at it this way - as long as he's with us, hooking up the stuff, you'll know where he is."

Jasper pursed his lips, considering this for a moment, then gave a curt nod of his head. "Right. Bella, I'm going to go help set up the stuff with Emmett and Peter. And Natan." He leaned over to give her a quick kiss, then stalked out of the cabin. The women watched Emmett and Peter quickly follow him, before dissolving in giggles.

"He's having a _really_ hard time having Natan around, isn't he?" Rose asked. "I thought maybe he'd settle down."

"I'm not sure that's going to happen" Bella said, her giggles quieting finally.

"Like you have any room to talk, missy," Rose snorted.

"I haven't snapped at Alice since that day in the front yard" Bella protested.

"Alice has been _avoiding_ Bella since that day in the front yard," Charlotte clarified.

"She hasn't been avoiding me - she's been off with Natan! There's a difference!"

"Yeah, they're joined at the hip - literally!" Charlotte dissolved into giggles again.

"So...there's not much chance of "Vampire Girl Smack-down" happening while the boys are occupied on Werewolf Watch?" Rose asked, sounding almost disappointed.

"I can control myself," Bella said, trying to sound dignified.

"As long as Jasper is no-where in the vicinity of Alice, and Natan is nowhere near Bella, all should remain calm," Esme said.

"Well, that's going to make coven life difficult in the long run" Rose observed.

"I'm sure things will settle down eventually. After all, even Emmett stopped growling at people after 10 years or so," Esme said gently, reminding Rose of her and her own mate's early difficulties in settling into family life.

"Do you think he's going to stick around that long? Has there been any indication that this might a permanent thing?" Rose plopped down on the couch and looked at the other three women. She and Emmett hadn't been around much in the past couple weeks, preferring to avoid all the drama that seemed to center on the human and the resident werewolf.

"I don't think it is," Esme said thoughtfully. "And Carlisle agrees with me. Jasper would be the one to really ask, since he might be able to evaluate their deeper emotions, but I'm afraid that's out of the question - for obvious reasons. And I haven't wanted to pry by asking Alice - she deserves some privacy, to the degree that that is even possible right now. A pleasant interlude, to be sure. But permanent? I don't think it is."

"Hmph. Will she be joining us in 'seclusion' for the next few days?"

"Of course she will. She's still a member of this family, and Carlisle wants us all in one place, just like last month." She gave Bella a pointed look.

"No running off to the mountains?" Rose asked, also staring at Bella.

"I'm not running anywhere" Bella said flatly. "I want to watch all the 'Alien' movies. And maybe a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon, too. Jasper said another one came out while I was...gone."

"Can't go wrong with Johnny Depp" Rose agreed.

"Oh, and Jasper said we could watch 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', too" Charlotte said, sounding more excited. "I kind of remember that from when I was human. He said that ALL the old movies are available now, on the internet thing."

"Uh...sure. That would be...great" Rose said, not sounding nearly as enthusiastic.

"I think that would be a wonderful choice," Esme said firmly. "We don't often get to watch those movies, not having children in the house." She glared at the others, daring them to argue with her. "And I remember when it came out, too. Carlisle took me to see it on a date."

"How romantic" Rose mumbled.

"It was a different time, Rose. As you should well remember, having been there yourself"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Fine. 'Snow White', it is. Maybe we can throw in a little 'Bambi', too, and maybe 'The Little Mermaid'."

"Ooh...'The Little Mermaid'" Bella said, sounding excited. "I remember watching that with my mom when I was little. A _lot_! She had to sit through it with me almost every day. Poor woman. It was my favorite movie!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"It's shaping up to be a Disney Film Fest," Esme said.

"Wonderful," Rose said.

"Except for the 'Alien' movies" Bella reminded them.

"Of course, dear," Esme said.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"Wow," Bella said, looking around the cabin. "This is really cool!"

"Isn't it, though?" Jasper agreed, pulling her into his arms. "They all did a really good job on it, even without our help."

"But you helped hook up the electronics," she reminded him, before pulling away and wandering the room to examine everything. The small cabin had been left as one open space, a large plasma television mounted along the wall opposite the door with several couches angled towards it for viewing. A row of video game consoles sat below it, along with various controllers and games. Along one side wall a table ran, with space for two or three laptops. Two gaming tables sat at the end of the room closest to the door. The space in front of the other side wall was conspicuously empty. All of it ran off a propane generator, hidden behind the cabin and currently humming quietly to itself.

"What goes here?" she asked, gesturing at the space.

"Emmett's pinball machines" Jasper said.

"Pinball? Really?"

"Oh, yeah. He's quite an aficionado. He's bringing his 'Wizard' and 'Tommy' out of storage. He says he misses them. Um...word of advice. I wouldn't recommend you touching them."

"You think I'll break them" she asked, clearly offended.

"I'm pretty sure you _will_break them. NOT breaking a pinball machine is almost the pinnacle of controlling one's vampire strength. You get all worked up, all excited, pissed off...I mean, a human will end up banging them around pretty bad. Just imagine the damage one of us can inflict. Getting thrown out of arcades was Emmett's hobby during the 70s."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

"Pinball Machines. Second only to making love to a human without damaging them, in terms of controlling one's instincts. Well, maybe third - not killing one's singer is probably top of the list."

Bella smiled, a small, sad smile. "Edward was probably pretty good at it then, wasn't he?"

"He was the best," Jasper said quietly, sending her a wave of comfort and understanding, but letting her have her moment of sadness.

"I can't imagine Emmett being capable of it," Bella said thoughtfully after a few moments.

"Well, Emmett likes a challenge. And since Rose would probably rip his dick off and throw it in the ocean if he touched a human, he's had to settle for mastering the Pinball machine. He considers himself quite the Wizard."

"Huh. Alright then, no touching the pinball machines. When do they arrive?"

"Probably not till after the wolf leaves - Emmett doesn't want to risk them getting damaged if there's a 'smackdown' - his words, not mine."

"Oh, so it's okay if WE get torn up, is it?"

"Well, we heal pretty quick. But finding parts for those machines is a real bitch."

Bella shook her head. "Yeah, sounds like Emmett. Well, it looks like waiting in here for the excitement to blow over won't be any trouble at all. No canasta games THIS time"

"I thought you liked canasta?"

Bella shrugged. "It's okay. But I really do want to watch some movies. It's been a long time..."

Jasper nodded. "Next week, when we go into town, we'll go to a theatre and watch some new releases"

She brightened up. "That will be fun. I haven't done that since I was a human!"

"It's a little more intense as a vampire. All those humans...the surround sound...the huge screen." Jasper warned. "You may not like it..."

"Well, I want to at least give it a try. And we'll be picking up our things from storage..." her words drifted off as melancholy enveloped her.

"Yeah...about that" Jasper said, feeling uncomfortable. "Look, they said all our stuff is there, in storage, from before...but, I don't know...I don't want you to be upset..."

"Jasper" she said, turning to him and taking her hand. "Don't worry. I probably _will_ be upset when I see my things...Edward's things. But I have to do it. There's things that I want to keep - not all of it, for sure, but some of it."

"Oh, I know - I'm not asking you to discard it all, not at all. I don't mind things...his things..." Jasper trailed off, aware that he most likely _would_ mind seeing Edward's belongings, reminders of her first mate, scattered around their own home. But he certainly couldn't protest - after all, HIS first mate was physically present in their family, a fact that Bella was dealing with remarkably well, all things considered. "I just...hell, I don't know what I mean."

"It's going to be difficult," Bella said gently.

"Yeah. It's going to be difficult."

"We can just let it be difficult. It's alright for it to be difficult, Jasper. We'll get through it. I'd rather do it sooner, rather than later - otherwise, it's just sitting there, hovering around the edges of 'us'. Besides, we need to put SOMETHING in our cabin. Right now..." she looked around the cabin again. "Well, compared to this, it's kind of empty looking."

"Bella - our cabin IS empty. All we have is a duffle bag laying on the floor. A half-EMPTY duffle bag."

" Maybe picking out a picture to hang on the wall would be a good idea, at least."

"Anything you want. Err...as long as it isn't a life sized cardboard cut-out of Edward standing in the corner. Because that would just be weird. And creepy," Jasper said, trying to lighten up the mood without influencing her emotions directly.

The look she shot him indicated he'd failed.

"Right" Jasper said quickly, pulling her back to his side and nuzzling her. "Pictures on the wall. And a bed. Wouldn't you like a bed? You know, we still have about 20 minutes before Carlisle wants me down there..."

"NOT happening, Jasper," Rose said, entering the cabin. "This is a male-free zone, as of now. Of you go, 'brother'. Time to go play soldier or guard or whatever the hell it is you think you're doing. Protecting our health or virtue or whatever"

Jasper pulled back from Bella and glared at her.

"Go on now, shoo," Rose said, making 'shooing' motions with her hands. "Go, go!"

"Oh, just go on" Bella said, giving him a little push. "It'll all be over in a couple days"

"I should just make it over now" Jasper mumbled, moving towards the door.

"This is YOUR fault, Jasper" Rose reminded him. "With a healthy sprinkling of MY idiot husband's fault in there. Just go pet sit for a few days. Maybe he'll die this time or something, and that will solve the problem in a way that will make everybody happy."

"Not Christina" Bella said quietly.

"Like you care?" Rose said, daring Bella to contradict her. "Besides, it would be BETTER for her, in the long run."

Bella didn't contradict her. She still didn't know how she really felt about the entire situation. But she didn't think she really wanted Christina to lose Mstislav - even if the thought of them together creeped her out. "SO" she said, forcing herself to smile and think of other things as the other women filed into the cabin. "What are we watching first?"

"'Snow White'!" Charlotte said. She was more excited than Bella thought she'd ever seen her. The little blond was almost jumping up and down, looking like a little girl in her excitement. Bella quickly glanced at the other women. Rose was rolling her eyes but looking resigned. Esme was watching their guest with a small smile on her face, and Alice was trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, okay," Bella said, moving towards the table that held the controls. "That sounds...good. Let's just..."

"I'll do it," Rose said, cutting in front of her and blocking her access to the remotes. "You have no clue how this works, Bella. You still had a VCR player at your dad's house," She grinned at Bella to take the sting out of her words.

"Whatever," Bella sulked, but knew Rose was probably right. And she didn't want to be teased for all eternity about how she broke the new entertainment set-up the guys has worked so hard on.

In the end they had to find a pirated copy of both Snow White AND Bambi to stream. Esme put up a slight protest at this information, but Rose quickly squashed it, pointing out that anything they watched was going to be obtained illegally, as they - and their IP address - did not, technically, exist. Bella noticed that hers were not the only eyes in the room that seemed to glaze over as Rose went into a technology spiel. Bella figured it was only a token protested, anyway. Esme was just accustomed to being their mother figure. After all, most of what they did was illegal, on some level.

Things were quiet during 'Snow White'. Looking around, Bella thought the other four women were all remembering their original viewing of the movie, all those years ago. But a few minutes into Bambi had her feeling more than a little restless. Apparently it was having the same effect on Alice.

"It just makes me hungry," she explained, after Esme had glared at her for rather loud fidgeting.

Rose laughed and Charlotte looked rather disgusted. "That's just wrong. How could you even think about eating something so...cute?" she asked.

"They taste good" Alice replied, shrugging. "And I didn't get a chance to hunt before the lock-in started."

"You were out there long enough. What the hell were you doing?" Rose said, smirking because they all knew perfectly well what Alice had been doing.

"Hunting's not nearly as much fun when both people aren't participating" Alice grumbled.

"That's what she said" Rose said, laughing out loud now.

"You can't be neglecting things like that," Esme chided gently. "It's not safe"

"Oh, come on, Esme" Alice said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like it's going to be a problem out here. I mean, NOBODY wants to take a bite out of the werewolf - no matter HOW hungry we get."

"But there's always Christina" Esme reminded her gently.

"Yeah, well, after she barfed on me, I don't have much interest in draining her, either. I still smell that...smell...every time I get near her."

"SHHHHH" Charlotte said, glaring at them all. "I can't hear!"

Quiet descended again. After Disney cartoons came Disney movies, and by the end of the Pirates movie they were all ready for a break from the big screen. As soon as the speakers fell silent, though, they could hear the howling, snapping, and snarling of the werewolf.

"Well, THAT'S going to get real old, real quick," Rose grumbled.

"Was it that bad last time?" Bella asked. "I don't remember him being that loud. You know, before I took off and all."

"He was quiet at the beginning last time, just like this time. And it DID escalate, but not like this." Esme said, sounding worried and staring in the direction of the noise.

"I thought Carlisle said he seemed calmer this time" Alice asked.

"He did..."

"Well, if we're going to play cards, we're going to need to some tunes, because I can't concentrate with that shit going on," Rose said, heading over and adjusting settings on the sound system. "We'll take turns picking out music" she told Esme, when the older woman sighed heavily at the music choice that began blaring through the speakers.

Bella sighed, too. More at the choice of entertainment than the music selection. Cards. Again.

An hour later, she had to admit that Canasta played vampire-style at vampire speed, accompanied by a spirited discussion of Johnny Depp's various attributes, was more fun than she'd expected.

"If you think this guy is so wonderful, Alice," Charlotte asked. "Why don't you just go down there and change him? I mean, you ARE free right now."

Bella couldn't decide what was funnier, Esme's look of horror at Charlotte's decision, or the sly look that came over Alice's as she considered Charlotte's words.

"I mean, we do it all the time, at least according to Peter" Charlotte continued, oblivious to the looks she was getting. "Not us PERSONALLY, but vampires. You see, you want, you take. I mean, look at Edward and Bella. Look at Rose with Emmett." She shrugged. "I don't see why you couldn't just go ahead and do that now. Jasper's really good at helping control newborns, he could help with that aspect. And then you'd have your very own Captain Jack!" She sounded pleased with her solution and finally looked up, finding the other four women staring at her in a mixture of fascination and horror.

"Or...not?" she asked.

"I don't think it would really work out that way," Esme said, trying not to sound as horrified as she obviously felt.

Charlotte shrugged. "Well, if it didn't work out, just destroy him."

"Yeah...I don't know..." Alice said. "I'm not really sure that's a route I want to go at this point in my life..."

Bella started laughing. "I'm sorry" she said, when everyone turned to glare at her. "I just...I mean, listen to us. I bet nobody has ever had a conversation like this before, ever."

"I don't know" Rose said, startling to smile. "I bet it goes down like this fairly often over at the Denali's place!"

That set Alice off in giggles, and even Esme showed signs of smiling.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I come in?" a new voice said from the doorway, shouting to be heard over the music.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Everybody remember where we were?

**Things I'm sure about:** Vacations with The Wordy Bitches can be dangerous. I'm probably lucky Super Beta made it out alive.

**Things I'm fairly sure about:** The Alien series just went downhill after the second one. But that's just my opinion.

**Chapter 27**

"_I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I come in?" a new voice said from the doorway, shouting to be heard over the music._

For what might have been the first time in history, five vampires reacted in surprise. A second later, Bella reflected that it was definitely worth the panic she was currently fighting, just to see the result.

All five females were now perched on the beams that crossed the open ceiling of the room, their teeth bared and hissing, glaring down at the human that had entered the cabin without them realizing it. Below them, the table and chairs were flung about the room, and cards were everywhere, a testament to their hasty departure.

The human, for her part, had backed up to the open doorway, but she seemed just as unwilling to exit the room as she was to be in the room. Realizing that it was Christina, all five relaxed a fraction but did not descend back to the floor. Bella could hear the now even more enraged howls of the werewolf a few cabins away, and understanding hit her. The human, as it were, was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Bella glanced around at the other vampires, all of whom looked momentarily confused and a bit embarrassed. "Stay here," she said, so quietly that she couldn't be heard by the human below them, before dropping to the floor.

Rose seemed to bristle at the order, but she chose to remain where she was after she started to follow Bella and Esme hissed warningly at her.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, crossing over to the sound system and turning the music off. It only served to make the howling from the werewolf more noticeable, increasing the stress levels of the the five vampires in the room.

"Uh...Dr. Cullen...he sent me up here. He thought my presence was causing some issues."

"Yeah, there's a big duh. It's been causing some issues for quite a while now," Rose replied from her spot on the ceiling beam.

"Well, he said that, um, Mstislav's, uh, change...was not this, um, well, frantic...last time?" she said, making it more of a question than a statement.

"I wouldn't know," Bella said. "I was busy babysitting you."

"And we weren't allowed to see the last one," Rose said.

"But it definitely wasn't this loud," Esme added.

"It sounds more like what Jasper and I ran into in Siberia," Bella said.

"Yeah," Alice nodded. "And what we all saw in Romania. I mean, maybe it's just our presence. Maybe they're not normally like this. But it's the only way we've seen them."

"He wasn't this bad last time, though," Rose said thoughtfully.

"No," Esme agreed. "I'm sure Agent Vlodak's presence has something to do with that. Maybe not her proximity to _him_, necessarily..."

"But our proximity to _her_," Bella cut in, nodding in agreement. She crossed the floor to the door and stuck her head out, listening for something. Evidently she heard it because she quickly came back in and shut the door. It did very little to diminish the noise level.

"Well, hell, maybe we should just send her back down there and have all the guys leave," Rose said, dropping to the floor.

"Jasper says the chains are holding fine and not to worry," Bella said. The other three women dropped to the floor, where Esme and Charlotte began to pick up cards and Alice righted the table and chairs.

"So..." Christina began, looking around in confusion at the activity taking place at vampire speed.

"So...joining us here in the Red Tent, are you?" Rose asked.

"It looks that way." Christina pulled one of the chairs out from the table. "So, what have I missed?"

The vampires looked at each other, clearly trying to decide how to proceed. Finally, Esme stepped forward. "Well, you've missed the Disney film festival, and the cards. We were going to start watching the _Alien_ movies, but your arrival took us by surprise."

Christina looked at her, disbelief in her eyes, before beginning to laugh almost hysterically.

"What is it now?" Bella asked, getting aggravated. Having to shout to be heard by the human over the continued howling was not helping matters any.

"This is all just so...surreal," Christina shouted back, trying to get her laughter under control. "You're vampires!"

"Glad you finally noticed," Alice muttered.

"And he...Mstislav...is a fucking WEREWOLF. I saw him change, transform, with my own eyes!"

"Lucky you," Bella said.

"I mean, I knew none of you were human. I _did_ listen to you, and I'm not blind, but I guess I sort of pretended like none of this was real, that all of you were just some kind of group of crazy people living out here in the woods. And Mstislav was just odd because he was foreign."

"Well, we _are_ crazy, sort of," Bella said. "We just also happen to be—"

"Vampires," Christina said, completing her sentence.

"Yeah. And, if it makes you feel any better, Mstislav _is_ foreign. And really old. And he has lots of issues other than the whole werewolf thing."

"Completely batshit is more like it," Rose said, loud enough for Christina to hear her and glare at her.

"Be nice, Rose. We're all a bit batshit," Alice said.

"Some of us more than others," Charlotte said, agreeing with her.

"You and Dr. Cullen seemed so normal when I first met you," Christina said, turning an accusatory look on Esme.

"Thank you," Esme said. "We do work quite hard at it. And you weren't seeing us at our best, either, that day." She looked reprovingly at Bella and Alice. "You know," she continued, "we _have_ had quite a while to polish our acting skills. At least, most of us have. It's always nice to have some sort of feedback, especially from someone who is trained to be extra observant."

"Yeah, well, I feel like a complete failure in that department," Christina muttered.

"Oh, don't be too hard on yourself, dear. I'm sure finding a coven of vampires when you were expecting something completely different was never covered anywhere in your training."

"Quin seemed to have no trouble at all seeing that something was off with the situation. What I don't understand is, what _was_ Jasper doing in Mexico with that cartel? And...were you the female in the video?" she asked, turning to Charlotte. She'd finally seemed to realize that the vampires could hear her just fine without her having to shout, even if they had to speak extra loudly to be heard by her.

"Yes, it was," Charlotte said, seemingly startled at being recognized.

"Huh...and the tall blond, he was the other man?"

Charlotte nodded. "Peter. My mate."

"So, what were you doing there? Are you involved in the drug trade, after all?"

"Uh, no. That whole situation was just...collateral damage."

"Collateral damage? That was some horrific collateral damage."

"Collateral damage generally tends to be fairly horrific," Rose said.

"They were looking for me," Bella said. "And Jasper was not really in control of himself at the time."

"Our kind never are when our mates are in danger," Charlotte said, nodding in agreement. "And from the sound of things, neither are _his_ kind." She jerked her head in the direction of the howling.

"I'm in no danger except from him, maybe," Christina said, bewildered.

"Agent Vlodak," Esme said, "you are in deadly danger every moment you are with us. You are a lone human in a vampire enclave. You have never been in more danger in your life."

"But you feed from animals, not humans..."

They all looked at her, the red of Charlotte's freshly fed eyes shining brighter than any of their gold ones. "Not all of us," whispered Charlotte.

"But you wouldn't..."

"You're right, we wouldn't. But not because we don't want to. Some of us most definitely do."

The Cullen women stared at Charlotte in surprise. They'd never heard her speak so much at once.

"The only reason we haven't," she continued, ignoring their stares, "is because this is Carlisle's territory, and we respect his wishes."

"Not to mention the fact that Carlisle's wishes are backed up by Jasper," Bella said, sounding proud of her mate. "And Jasper is someone few of our kind wish to cross."

"There is that, too," Charlotte agreed, smiling.

"What happened in Mexico, in that compound, is just an example of what happens when our world and your world mix in too large of a way," Alice said. "You don't know we exist because we don't want you to know we exist. What Maria did down there was an aberration for our kind. It doesn't happen often."

"We tend to police ourselves fairly closely, and we come down harshly on those that do go too public," Esme said, not bothering to mention that up until recently it had been an entirely different group that had been in charge of both the policing and the enforcing, or that the destruction of Maria's coven had nothing to do with vampire politics and everything to do with Jasper retrieving his mate.

"What's this 'we' shit? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?" Rose asked her, clearly annoyed. Esme ignored her.

"What, so you're like the vampire police?" Christina asked.

"It doesn't work quite like that," Esme said vaguely.

"Yeah, we really have no idea how it's going to work," Rose said, too low for the human to hear.

"Enough of this, though," Esme said briskly. "Tell us, Christina, what did you think of this, um, side of Mstislav?"

"It was...different," Christina said.

"That's got to be the understatement of the century." Rose snorted.

"But..sort of hot, you know?"

"Um, that's just sort of gross," Bella said. "As charming as he can be, he still turns into an animal, and not in a good way!"

"Says the girl who has a strange attraction to all things not human," Rose said.

"Vampires at least are human in form, with all the IMPORTANT physiological aspects. And they stay that way all the time."

"Jacob," Rose fake-coughed the name.

"I don't remember any of that," Bella said primly. "And my understanding was that he was attracted to _me_, and not vice-versa."

"Good choice on which memories to purge during the change," Alice said approvingly.

"Besides, you can't deny the whole mate thingy, even on a human level," Bella said.

"Well, it appears that Christina here may be feeling that same 'mate thingy' since she has not run screaming for the nearest highway yet," Esme observed.

"Love truly is blind," Alice said, looking a little disgusted.

"And has no sense of smell."

"But I don't think I want to be like that, like him," Christina said. "And I have no desire to live forever."

"Carlisle doesn't think they actually live forever," Esme said. "Mstislav claims to have been somewhere in his early twenties when he became a werewolf, and he is clearly much older now. The aging process is slow but still definitely present."

Christina shook her head. "Close enough. What does it matter after the first couple of centuries? I would think it would just all blur together fairly quickly."

"Well," Esme looked around at the other vampires, "all of us are relatively young, so I couldn't really answer that from a personal viewpoint. Carlisle is the oldest one here, with the possible exception of Natan. Jasper is also fairly old, but not nearly as old as the other two. It seems to me, if you're the curious type, that it's easier to pass the time than otherwise."

"Curious, or power hungry," Rose said. "That's another way we like to keep ourselves occupied."

"Yes, that too."

"Well, I've got my fair share of curiosity," Christina said, "but no hunger for power. And while I consider myself a curious person, I just have no desire in living that long, or with that, um, 'condition'."

"So, where does that leave you and Mstislav?" Rose asked. "Because, you know, walking away from it all is not an option anymore."

"Oh, I realize that, believe me," Christina said. "We've discussed it quite a bit. I think I might just immigrate to be with him."

"Unfuckingbelievable," Rose said, rolling her eyes and falling backward onto the couch from where she'd been perched on the back.

"Are you sure?" Bella asked doubtfully. "Because I've seen where he's from, and believe me, it sucks ass. I wasn't even in my right mind at the time, and I thought it was a hell hole. It's cold, and isolated, and dirty. And it smells bad."

"The smell was probably him and his buddies, and she doesn't really notice that, now does she?" Esme pointed out.

"Well, true. But the rest of it...are you sure about that decision?"

Christina laughed. "We're not moving back to _rural_ Siberia! We're going to live in a city somewhere over there. He's actually got a lot of family in Novosibirsk, so we're thinking about maybe going there. He knows he can get a position at the university there, and he thinks I'll be able to, also."

"Does this sound like something out of _Harry Potter_ to anybody else?" Alice asked. "A werewolf as a professor? I hope it works out better for you guys. And what happens when you grow old and die and leave him behind?"

"Well...we discussed that, too. He says he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it. It's really our own business."

"Believe me, we don't want to know the personal details. But, do you really think they'll let a former FBI agent into the country?" Rose asked doubtfully.

"Well, lucky for me, I have a skill set that allows me to create a new identity for myself."

"Why not just stay over here?" Charlotte asked.

"Because...he has the support system he needs over _there_. Over here, it's just me and him...and you guys, of course."

"I think moving to Novosibirsk sounds like a lovely idea," Esme said hastily. "Are you two leaving as soon as he's, err...finished? We can drive you to the airport, if you need us to, or the port in Anchorage. Whichever is easier."

Christina looked at her in surprise. "We hadn't actually discussed it yet. I need to make arrangements for quitting my job...packing up my things...that sort of thing. Think about what I'm going to tell Quin. God, that's going to be one of the hardest parts."

"Well," Rose said, sitting up again, "if you hurry, you won't have to tell him anything. He's on assignment overseas right now and isn't due back for another three weeks."

"How do you know _that_?" Christina asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Oh, we have our ways," Rose said, trying—and succeeding—to sound mysterious. "Evidently your boss thinks it's all your partner's fault that you took an extended leave, and he's punished him accordingly. He's thinking about reassigning you, too, in hopes that it will lure you back. He's afraid you're going to just up and quit on him completely, and he values you too much to want that to happen."

"Uh...wow. Good to know. I think. You are remarkably well-informed for a supernatural creature living in the wilds of Alaska."

Rose shrugged. "Like I said, we have our ways. Never underestimate us."

"Believe me, I won't anymore. If what you say is true, then it won't come as quite as big of a shock if I turn in my notice."

"Won't they track you after you leave and sort of notice when you turn up in hostile territory?"

"Well, now, you all seem to have such an 'in' with the Powers That Be, perhaps you could help me in that department, too?"

Rose looked a bit sour, realizing that her own bragging about what they were capable of doing had put her in a position to help the human even more.

"Oh, come on, Rose," Bella said, laughing, "how much trouble would that be, really?"

"Yeah, whatever. All right, we could probably do that. But if it looks like they notice _any_ of it, the deal's off."

"Fantastic!" Christina said. "So, what are we watching next?"

"_Aliens_," Bella said. "If we're lucky, they might take us all the way through till the end of the howling."

"Bella, that's only about nine hours worth of movies."

"Yeah, but now we've got a human with us. She's going to have to take breaks," Bella pointed out.

"Ugh. I suppose she'll need an escort to the bathroom and stuff to eat," Rose said, not bothering to lower her voice.

"_She _probably will," Christina said.

"See?" Bella said, sticking her tongue out at Rose. "I can _so_ take care of a pet."

"Well, good. You can take her to the outhouse and get her some food. There's still some stuff up at Carlisle and Esme's cabin."

"Rose, you go with Bella and Christina," Esme said. "Nobody goes out alone, remember?"

"Busted!" Bella grinned at Rose.

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

One bathroom break, a sandwich, a glass of water, and two candy bars later found the group of women settling in on the couches and chairs to start _Alien_. With only a couple more interuptions, they were soon halfway through the second movie in the _Alien_ franchise.

"I'm thirsty," Alice whispered, staring across the room at Christina where she sat alone on a recliner.

"What the hell, Alice?" Bella glared at her. Both girls were seated on a double recliner, in an attempt to prove to the group at large that they were getting along better. "Say it a little louder, why don't you? And I thought you said she smelled like vomit!"

"She does. I don't want to eat her. It just reminds me that I'm really, really thirsty."

Bella looked at her a little more closely, concern starting to form. Alice's eyes were almost completely black. "Did you hunt at _all_ while you were out there with Natan?"

"No."

"ALICE!"

"Shhhh!" Alice hissed, looking over to the couch where Charlotte and Rose were concentrating on the movie and Esme had her eyes closed, evidently pretending to sleep. Apparently, though, their conversation was quiet enough not to attract attention from either the vampires or the lone human.

"I was busy slaking a thirst of another sort, Bella," Alice continued quietly. "I'm sure you can understand. And I don't want to eat your friend."

"She's not my friend."

"Whatever. I don't want to eat her. It's just her being here reminds me that I need to feed."

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd let something like this happen," Bella said.

"Yeah, well, my life's been in a bit of an uproar lately. I've just let myself go."

"I'll say. In more ways than one!"

Both girls looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"SHHHHH!" Rose hissed. "This is a good part!"

"Like she hasn't seen it a hundred times," Alice muttered.

Bella looked back to the screen. "Well, I haven't. Or if I have, I've forgotten. Just...stop thinking about blood."

"That's like saying don't scratch your nose to a human. But I'll try. Kind of hard when it keeps getting sprayed all over the screen, though."

"I can't believe _I_ am lecturing _you_," Bella said after a few moments of quiet between them.

"I can't either." Alice giggled a little.

"I think we're going to be okay."

Alice turned to look at her, a smile on her face. "I think so, too, Bella."

"I just have to learn to control my instincts better in certain situations."

"It's a never ending battle."

Bella leaned over and sniffed the air near Alice. "I think it'll help that you smell a lot like Natan now," she said, laughing a little.

"Well, I'm not sure how long _that_ is going to last," Alice said. "I mean, he's fun and all, don't get me wrong, but he's not interested in hanging around, now that he doesn't feel like there's a sword hanging over him. And I sure as hell am not leaving home for some man."

"That's too bad. I mean, the part about him leaving, not the part about you staying."

Alice shrugged. "It's fine. Like I said, it's been fun. And healing, in its own way."

"SHHHH!" Rose hissed, glaring at them again.

Christina looked around in confusion, clearly not knowing what was causing Rose to have such a conniption fit. Of course, Bella thought, how the woman could hear the movie over the continued frantic howling, let alone anything else going on, was beyond her.

Bella turned back to the movie, concentrating once more on the storyline and ignoring the werewolf outside. It wasn't long before she was totally wrapped up in the movie again, both because she was interested and because there were bits and pieces of it that were familiar, tantalizing glimpses into her human life. She'd seen it with Edward, she had no doubt of that. Flashes of him, and his family, accompanied the memories of the movie itself. It was almost like watching two different movies at the same time.

It was also, she reflected later, have been the reason why what happened next caught her totally off guard.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **I'd like to thank Super Beta, Hammerhips and EdwardsChipper for talking me off a ledge on this one, when I realized I'd made it through the entire chapter leaving a gaping plot hole in my wake. It's all sewn up now, neat and tidy, so you won't (hopefully) read it and think "Now wait just an effin' minute here..."

**Something I'm pretty sure about:** I'm not the only person out there who feels that Rose has always been a bit too smug about the whole "never drank from a human" thing.

**Things I'm definitely sure about**: The end is near.

**Chapter 28**

With a feral roar, Rose leapt off the couch in the direction of the door. Before they could react, she had cleared the couch and delivered a solid kick to both of them in passing, sending them flying across the room in opposite directions.

Bella landed on her feet but was unable to immediately figure out where the threat was. Were they under attack? She could still hear Mstislav making a racket, in the same place he had been two seconds earlier. And why would Rose have attacked her, anyway? She thought they had actually begun to get along really well. And if Rose _was_ still pissed at her, then why attack Alice, too? And why hadn't Alice seen it coming?

She got her answer a second later when she followed Alice out of the house, both of them tracing Rose's trajectory to the door, which now lay in a splintered mess on the front porch. Esme was already out of the building, and Charlotte was preventing Christina from following them out.

"What's happening?" Christina shouted, sounding truly frightened for the first time since Bella had met the woman.

"Stay here," Bella told her. "Charlotte?"

"I didn't see anything...just Rose flying by."

"GOD DAMMIT, Rose!" Alice's shout came from outside. "Put him DOWN!"

"Rose, honey, come on now. You don't want to do this. Just let him go," Esme's calmer voice came.

Apparently Rose was still close by, and she was apparently not in agreement with the other's opinions. Her growling only grew louder, the warning in it clear.

Bella was on the porch in a flash. Her sudden appearance distracted Rose for a fraction of a second, which was all Alice and Esme needed to move into action. Alice hit Rose in the side, hard enough to send her stumbling a few feet and startling her into loosening the grip she had on the man. Esme was able to wrench him out of her hold and fling him across the yard in the opposite direction, where he landed in a heap in some brush.

"What the hell?" Alice demanded, Rose now thrashing and flailing around like a wild animal under Alice, who was trying—and failing—to maintain some sort of hold on the larger vampire. "Charlotte? A little help here?"

Charlotte rushed over and joined Alice in trying to restrain Rose, who just snarled and snapped harder at the appearance of a second vampire.

"I don't understand it," Esme said, cautiously approaching Rose, who howled in anger at the vampire who had stolen her meal.

"If it was you, Alice, I'd understand. You've done nothing but complain about how thirsty you are. But Rose? Did she feed beforehand?" Bella wondered. Alice glared at her.

"Well, I checked her eyes before we went in," Esme said. "She shouldn't be doing this. She wasn't thirsty."

"Are you sure?" Bella asked doubtfully.

Esme looked at her. "Bella, I'm a mother. I've been doing this for over ninety years. I'm fairly certain she should not have reacted like this to the appearance of a human."

All eyes turned to the human in question, who was struggling to extricate himself from the bush where he'd landed.

"Besides which, she was sitting six feet away from Agent Vlodak for hours and made no attempt to attack her."

"This is Rose we're talking about. She doesn't _do_ human blood. At all," Alice reminded them all.

Christina was watching the whole thing with morbid fascination, but then she caught sight of the man across the path from them.

"Quin? What are you doing here?"

All eyes swung back to the man in question.

"_Quin_? How did I not SEE this?" Alice wailed. "I'm fucking BROKEN! And aren't you supposed to be in _England_?" She tightened her hold on Rose's arms as she glared at the man in question. "God dammit, Rose, will you quit already? You better stay over there, Agent Anderson, if you know what's good for you,"

Quin ignored her, staring instead at Christina.

"Christina? Is that you?"

"What! Have I grown horns or something? What in the hell are you doing here, Quin?" Christina asked. "And you better stay over there like Alice said."

Quin ignored her, too, and came closer yet, causing Rose to renew her struggle with enough vigor to almost dislodge Charlotte from where she sat on her back, holding Rose's legs.

Glancing around him at the chaos, he suddenly produced a handgun. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to decide where he wanted to point it, aiming it first at the struggling group on the ground, then at Esme who had given up trying to calm Rose down and had turned her attention back to Quin.

"Uh...Quin? Could you maybe put the gun away?" Christina said.

This caused him to swing the gun at her when he turned to look at her, making her quickly back up a step. Nobody needed to tell her that she was probably the only one present truly in danger from a bullet.

"Agent Anderson, Agent Vlodak is right. You really should put the gun away. You could hurt somebody," Esme said, using her most soothing voice. Unfortunately, it seemed to have no effect on the man.

"Nobody move!" he shouted. "I'm here to rescue Agent Vlodak!"

"Oh, good God, not this shit again..." Bella muttered.

"By yourself?" Christina asked, looking like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I'm not alone!" he shouted. "We've got the entire compound surrounded!"

Bella didn't have any problem deciding. She laughed. "No, you don't. You're most definitely alone."

Quin swung the gun in her direction. "Shut up! Christina, get over here! We're going to leave, and they're going to let us, and then nobody is going to get hurt!"

"Quin, are you crazy? I'm not going anywhere, especially not with you, not when you've obviously lost your mind!" She managed to hold her ground this time when he swung the gun back in her direction.

Bella eyed the group struggling on the ground. Esme had slowly positioned herself between the struggling vampires and Quin, clearly not trusting the two smaller vampires to be able to keep a hold of Rose, who continued to snarl and hiss. Bella considered joining them, then decided to step closer to Christina instead. Christina may not have been Rose's target, but she was the most vulnerable person in the group, and Quin seemed to have a disturbing tendency to point the gun at whoever he was speaking to at the moment. Bella would be damned if she let her human get killed at this point in the game, especially by some random bullet. It was all rather surreal, and the howling and screeching in the background was not helping matters.

"Grab the gun," she hissed at Esme.

"I don't dare. He could pull the trigger before I do, and it could hit her!"

"I doubt his aim is that good right now!" Bella hissed back.

"But it could ricochet off of us and still hurt her!"

"Oh." Bella hadn't considered that.

"Distract him, and I'll get it!"

Distract him. Right. That shouldn't be too tough. "Why don't you put the gun down, and we can go inside and discuss this..." she said, trying to sound like it was a reasonable idea.

"NOBODY MOVE!" Quin screamed.

Yeah, he thought it sounded stupid, too. Bella mentally crossed 'hostage negotiator' off her list of possible future careers.

"And what the hell is wrong with her?" he yelled, turning back to the group on the ground.

"Seizure," Alice growled at him.

"Well, make her stop! And what the hell is that _noise_?" Mstislav's howling had increased in volume, if that were possible. It was putting all the vampires further on edge, and it didn't seem to be helping Quin's situation, either. "Christina, we have to go, NOW, before the rest of them get back here!"

Jasper appeared at Bella's side. "The rest of them _are_ here, you idiot. Put the gun down."

"YOU!" Quin yelled, clearly recognizing Jasper. "You're here!"

"Apparently," Jasper said, and Bella felt a blanket of calm descend on the group.

Everyone seemed to relax. Everyone except Rosalie, that is. Rose seemed to be completely unaffected by Jasper's gift at the moment. Before Bella could point this out or decide to do something about it with her own shield, Quin seemed to also realize something odd was happening to him. He also seemed to instantly connect the odd feeling coming over him with the newest arrival in the group, and without another word, he fired off two rounds directly at Jasper.

Contrary to Bella's original theory, his aim was perfect. Unfortunately for Christina, Esme's theory _was_ correct, and she went down screaming in pain as one of the bullets bounced off Jasper's chest and hit her in the leg. At that same moment, Rosalie managed to break loose from Alice and Charlotte, and she lunged at Quin. She grabbed him around the waist and tried to run off into the woods, but Esme was quicker and blocked her path, joined almost instantly by Alice and Charlotte.

"Just fucking wonderful," Jasper muttered. He was at Rose's side in an instant, joining Esme in an attempt to get Rose to release her prey. Esme made the mistake of coming too close, too quick, and Rose was able to reach out and grab Esme, flinging her away from the man. Jasper made no such mistake, staying out of easy reach and speaking in low tones, all the while pumping out enough calm to drop a horse.

A horse, maybe, but not an enraged vampire protecting its prey. Bella quickly raised her shield around the rest of them when Jasper's gift made Charlotte drop to the ground like she'd fainted. Rose continued to clutch Quin to her chest, the man unconscious but still alive. She was growling quietly at Jasper, unable to both protect her prey and feed at the same time.

"Don't kill him!" Christina shrieked.

"Shhhhh," Bella said. "He's not dead." _Yet_. He may not be dead, but it would be a miracle if he survived the encounter. Rose hadn't begun to feed yet, but it was only a matter of time. Bella could see it in her eyes, feel it in her growls.

"She's going to kill him! Oh, my God! My leg! It's bleeding!" Christina wailed. "Keep her away from me!"

"INCOMING!" Emmett's voice came bellowing from down the lane.

Jasper's head swung in the direction of Emmett's voice, and they all realized, to their horror, that the howling had taken on a whole new tone. And it was coming closer. A second later an enraged werewolf appeared, barreling at them down the lane. Except...it wasn't quite a werewolf. Apparently Mstislav had not quite finished changing back into a man when he'd managed to make his escape. But he was running on his hind legs, and his features looked almost human.

Instinct took over in most of the vampires, and they scattered before the creature rushing towards them. He wasn't interested in any of them, though, bypassing all of them and heading straight for the now hysterical human. Picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder, he ran off into the woods towards the river, leaving behind a group of stunned vampires.

"Well, hell," Emmett said, coming to a stop next to Jasper. Carlisle, Natan, and Peter were right behind him.

"What the hell happened?" Jasper asked.

Emmett shrugged. "I don't know. One moment he's going ape shit but changing back to a human, next thing we know he's broken through the chains and taken off running."

"What set him off?" Jasper asked, looking to Carlisle.

"I'd have to say when Christina started screaming. It just sent him over the edge. It sounded like she was in pain. What happened? Is she bleeding?" Carlisle tested the air, clearly picking up on the scent of blood that had been spilt.

"Oh, shit!" Jasper said, remembering the reason they were all out in the yard. "Rosalie!"

Rose had taken the opportunity of everyone being distracted to begin feeding, not bothering to take her prey any further away.

"Is that...is that Agent Anderson?" Carlisle asked, clearly confused. He carefully approached his feeding daughter but halted when she growled at him.

"Yes. And don't ask, because I don't know. Everything happened too fast," Jasper said, cutting off any further questions.

"Make her stop!" Bella yelled at Emmett. "Pull her off!"

"It's too late, Bella. Best to just let her finish," Jasper said, pulling Bella back to him to keep her away from the feeding vampire.

"He's already dead, Miss Bella. There's no stopping her now," Peter added, trying to be helpful.

"No, you don't understand! She'll never forgive herself if he dies!"

"Peter's right, Bella," Charlotte said, returning to the group from where she'd run to get out of Mstislav's way. "The human's dead. Let her finish her meal."

"He must have been her singer," Esme said, joining them. "It's the only explanation for why she reacted to him that way."

"Stop talking about him in the past tense! He's not dead yet!"

"He will be soon. And if he's her singer, well...in that case, let her enjoy," Peter said.

Carlisle resumed his slow approach to Rose. "Bella's right," he said. "Rose will never forgive herself. Rose!" he said sharply. "Drop it!"

Rose growled, but this time it didn't deter Carlisle.

"Carlisle..." Emmett said, stepping forward with a warning in his voice. But warning of what, Bella wasn't sure. Either Emmett didn't want Carlisle to get hurt or he didn't want Carlisle coming between his mate and her meal.

"Emmett," Carlisle replied, the warning in his voice quite a bit clearer. Emmett seemed to deflate, and he stepped back again.

"Rose," Carlisle said again, using a tone of voice Bella hoped to never have turned on her for any reason. "DROP it." This time the command was accompanied by a hand gripping her shoulder. Rose spun around and lunged at Carlisle, dropping her prey in the process.

Carlisle didn't seem overly concerned with her attack, though, and before she could even land a bite, he had her face down in the dirt, her arms caught behind her, his knee in her lower back, and his own teeth at her neck. She fell silent and quit struggling the instant she felt his teeth on her neck. But it was a stillness that spoke of waiting to strike, not accepting defeat.

Emmett started to move forward again, but Jasper leapt up and grabbed his arm. "Don't do it, man."

"But he's gonna—" Emmett wailed, a sound of horror that Bella never thought she'd hear come from the giant vampire.

"He's not gonna do anything. Stand down, Emmett," Jasper said, the order clear in his own voice.

Emmett complied, but the fear for his mate on his face made Bella's heart hurt.

While Rose was distracted, Esme swooped in and grabbed the human, who was now bleeding profusely from the wound in his neck. She disappeared up the hill towards the main cabin, and once she'd gone inside and shut the door, Rose seemed to deflate.

"Carlisle?" she whimpered, all the fight gone out of her.

"It's all right, baby girl. It's going to be all right," Carlisle said. He stood up and helped Rose to her feet, then pulled her into a tight embrace. "It's going to be all right."

~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~AM~

"There's never a dull moment around here, is there?" Peter asked.

"Not recently, no. Used to be you could go for years with nothing more exciting happening than somebody buying a new car, or Emmett failing his foreign language course. _Again_."

"I can't believe he finally shut up," Bella said, pointing over her shoulder at the cabin.

"Hey, just because you lay all silent and stoic for three days doesn't mean the rest of the world can't do it, too," Jasper teased her.

"I didn't have a choice. Carlisle drugged me. Believe me, I WANTED to scream," Bella said.

"Well, don't be too impressed at your Agent Anderson's control," Peter said, laughing. "Natan stuffed a sock in his mouth."

"He's not _my_ Agent Anderson," Bella said. "He's Rose's Agent Anderson."

"Don't jump the gun. We don't know what they're going to decide yet. He may not be anybody's Agent Anderson," Jasper said. The five of them—Jasper, Bella, Peter, Charlotte, and Alice—all looked toward the river, in the direction that Carlisle, Esme, Rose, and Emmett had disappeared a couple of hours earlier. "Do you see anything, Alice?" Jasper asked her.

Alice shook her head. "Nobody has made any decisions yet. It just keeps flipping back and forth. It's making me dizzy."

"I can't believe they aren't including you in the discussion," Bella said.

Alice shrugged. "Carlisle wants to know what Rose really wants, WITHOUT her being influenced by me. Then he'll ask me what I see with the different choices. It's more honest that way. This isn't a decision to be taken lightly."

"I feel like we're waiting outside the delivery room in a hospital," Bella grumbled.

Peter laughed. "That's exactly what we're doing, Miss Bella. Bringing a new vampire into the coven is a big deal."

Silence descended again. This time, though, it was Bella that broke it.

"Maybe we should go after Mstislav and Christina while we wait..."

"Carlisle said not to," Jasper reminded her.

"But she could be hurt. Or dying. Or changing..."

Jasper shook his head. "She could be any one of those things, but that's not our problem right now. If she's hurt, Mstislav will soon be sane enough to bring her back here for help. If he bit her, she won't change until the NEXT full moon. If she's dead...well, there's nothing we can do about it anyway. Either way, we'll be able to track them easily enough when _this_ is done. Mstislav will avoid contact with the 'real' world. He's an old pro at what he's doing, Bella. It's important that we be here, right now. This," he waved a hand up towards the cabin, "is most definitely our problem. Carlisle will call a family meeting when they return from talking to Rose and Emmett, and we all need to be here for that."

"Peter and Charlotte could go..." Bella began.

Jasper shook his head again. "No. Carlisle wants Peter and Charlotte here for the meeting, too, as some of the choices might involve them as well."

"Wonderful," Peter muttered. "I don't remember ever saying I wanted in on this family stuff."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I think he might just have a favor or two to ask of you, that's all. Not a lifetime commitment."

"A favor. Or two or three. You're building up quite a pile of favors here, Jasper," Peter said. He sounded put out, but Bella was beginning to understand that maybe, just maybe, it was a front Peter put on. She was starting to think that Peter might just like all this "family stuff" he constantly complained about. He'd certainly kept returning, Charlotte in tow, when it would have been more than easy for them to take off during one of their feeding trips to one of Alaska's cities. But, no, he kept returning and doing whatever Carlisle and Esme asked of him.

She was starting to think Peter might like them for more than their cable television and their entertainment value.

Before Jasper could come up with a retort for his friend, Carlisle and Esme appeared from the treeline, Rose and Emmett following them more slowly.

"All right, then. Family meeting. We'll convene back in the, um, media cabin. Unless it sustained too much damage?" Carlisle looked at Esme questioningly.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. Just the door and frame."

"All right then. Natan is still with Agent Anderson?" This question was directed at Jasper.

Jasper nodded. "Yep. He's doing fine. Says he's never sat with a changeling before and is enjoying the experience. Except for the screaming."

Carlisle cocked his head, listening. "There's no screaming now."

Jasper shrugged. "He stuffed a sock in his mouth, according to Peter. It seems to have worked."

"If he chokes to death, this will have all been for nothing," Carlisle grumbled. Bella noticed, though, that he made no move to go and remove the sock. Instead, he herded everyone into the cabin, waiting until everyone had found a seat before speaking again.

"All right, then. After much discussion, Rose and Emmett have agreed that they are willing to take responsibility for Agent Anderson, should he survive his change, providing Alice can see no harm coming from it for the family. However, this needs to be a family decision, as it affects the entire family," Carlisle announced.

"We can't just kill him. That would be WRONG," Rose said, wringing her hands. Bella had never seen her so nervous or unsure of herself. She wouldn't even make eye contact with anyone, instead focusing on her hands. Emmett lay a hand on her shoulder, clearly supporting her and her decision.

"Um, I feel I should point out that a little while ago you had no problem at all with draining him dry..." Peter pointed out.

"Shut up, Peter," Emmett growled at him. "This is a FAMILY meeting. So unless you're gonna take this dude with you when you leave, shut the fuck up."

"Okay, okay!" Peter said, putting his hand up. "Message received!"

"Well, if I don't break his neck, he's going to change," Jasper said, trying to blanket everybody with patience and calm. He could afford to be patient at this point. They had almost three days to come to a decision before it would become a little more difficult to destroy the creature transforming in the cabin up the hill. Once the new vampire was awake, it would be so much harder, both physically and emotionally. The physical part didn't particularly worry Jasper. He and Peter had destroyed more than their fair share of newborns in their time. But the emotional blow that would come from destroying what most of them viewed as an innocent bystander would leave a more lasting mark on the Cullens.

"You are not breaking his neck, Jasper Whitlock!" Rose shrieked, coming out of her chair.

"Easy! Easy!" Jasper said, holding his hands up in a gesture meant to placate her. "I'm just saying—"

"Well, you can stop saying," Rose said.

"I thought you wanted to drain him, Rose. Why the change of heart?" Charlotte asked, clearly puzzled. The rest of the Cullens might understand Rose's decision, but Peter and Charlotte were clearly having trouble with it.

"I did this to him. This is _my_ fault. He's my responsibility," Rose said, her voice firmer now.

"All right, then, what do you all think? This would affect the entire family." Carlisle said, looking at Jasper and Bella for a moment before looking at Alice.

Bella and Jasper exchanged glances, and Bella shrugged. She hadn't really emerged from her own newborn years yet, and she'd never had any interactions with other newborns since becoming a vampire herself. The long ago encounter with Victoria's attempt at creating a newborn army to destroy her was little more than foggy memories and impressions. "I suppose it would mean a lot of help from Jasper..." she began, not sure how she felt about his attention being taken away for somebody else. She wasn't sure she was ready to share _any_ of their attention with a newcomer. Sibling jealousy, she realized. It wasn't a nice feeling. She attempted to force it to go away, ignoring Jasper when he gave her a funny look.

Carlisle shook his head. "Not necessarily. Not unless absolutely necessary." He smiled at Bella. "YOU are still Jasper's number one priority, Bella. I'll not ask him to divide his attentions like that. No, if everyone is agreeable about accepting Quin Anderson into the family, at least through his newborn phase, Rose and Emmett will have the immediate responsibility for him, with myself and Esme as primary backup. I do have concerns about having a single male in the family, though." Carlisle looked at Jasper when he said this. "Especially an unattached newborn male. It could cause problems—problems that, quite frankly, I am not willing to deal with at this point."

Jasper nodded. "It could be a problem. The fucker already shot me once. It's not going to happen again. He could very easily carry that aggression toward me after the change. I won't tolerate that. Not towards me, not towards Bella." He stared hard at Rosalie.

"Newborns are aggressive. You can't expect him to not be," Rose said defensively.

"I _do_ expect him to be aggressive. It's focused aggression I'm speaking of here, Rose."

"He's just as likely to be aggressive toward his sire, really," Peter said thoughtfully, staring at Rose. "His end was rather violent. It often leads to problems. We most often had to destroy the newborns whose beginnings began with any sort of violent attack."

"He's not going to hurt Rosie," Emmett growled. "I'll see that he doesn't."

"Nobody is going to destroy him!" Rose said, getting more and more upset as the conversation went on.

"Rose," Carlisle said sharply, "we discussed this. The decision affects all of us as a family, and we will make the decision as a family. This is _not_ a baby we are discussing here. Nobody is threatening your baby. Quin Anderson will awaken as a full grown male vampire. He will need a lot of guidance for a while, guidance that I expect you and Emmett to be the primary source of, but he is NOT a baby. And once he has himself under control, he may or may not choose to remain with us. You need to be able to accept that before this goes any further."

Rose dropped her eyes. "I understand. I do, really. It's just hard. He could be the closest we ever get to having a child..."

Carlisle's voice softened. "I understand. Believe me, I do. Jasper?" he asked again, turning back to Jasper.

Jasper looked at Rose and Emmett, then down to Bella where she stood at his side. She gave him a slight nod and he looked back up at Carlisle. "All right, I'll behave. Within reason. I'll help...when it doesn't endanger Bella." He looked down at Bella. "We can always leave again if it gets to be too much, for any reason," he said, words meant only for her but heard by all of them.

Bella shook her head. "I don't want to run anymore. I want to stay. How hard will it be, anyway, compared to what we've already been through? Besides, like Peter keeps saying, it's bound to be entertaining, right?"

Jasper chuckled quietly and pulled her in for a tight hug. "I'll remind you you said that in a few months, babe."

Carlisle waited for somebody else to say something. When nobody did, he nodded once. "All right, then. Alice, what do you see?"

Alice's eyes glazed over as she searched through possible futures. It seemed to Bella that it was coming a little easier to her, now that Rose had made a firm decision and the rest of them had agreed to it. Finally her eyes refocused on the group, and she laughed.

"Well? Will it be all right? Will we have problems?" Carlisle asked her.

She smiled. "I see nothing we can't handle, nothing that will endanger us. I see it definitely being entertaining, though."

Everyone looked at her, expecting her to say more. She just shook her head and laughed again. "Oh, no. Unless it's a matter of safety and security, I'm not opening my mouth. Trust me, though. Quincy Anderson is going to make a fine vampire."

"Congratulations, you two," Peter said, grinning at Rose and Emmett. "It's a boy!"

Bella grimaced, still not sure how she felt about sharing her family with a newborn. She decided maybe ignoring it would be the best way to handle it. "Now that that's settled, do you think maybe somebody should go after Mstislav and Agent Vlodak?"


	29. Chapter 29

**Thing I'm sure about:** Most people are going to say "What? That's it? This is The End?" Yes, it is, indeed, "it". Life goes on, and for our hero and heroine, it will probably go on for a very, very long time. And based on their first couple years together, it's going to be an interesting eternity since Bella seems to have not only brought her 'shield' into this life as a gift but also her 'danger magnet' talent. This story was about whether or not she would adjust to being part of a coven/family or choose to run again, with Jasper, as always, loyally following her. The rest of it...Mstislav, Christina, the FBI chasing Jasper, and even Quin...well, they were just part of life that swirled around Bella and Jasper while she tried to come to terms with being in a family, and everything that comes with it.

**Thing I'm also sure about:** I've been horrible at reviewing to replies. I used to be so good. And then my laptop died a couple months ago. And so I've had limited time online at work to do stuff I probably shouldn't be, like writing fanfic. I read them, though, and I appreciate all of them. A lot of you have been with me from the beginning of "Running", and I appreciate the love and support to no end. If any of you are still speaking to me after this, I WILL respond—much easier now that my boss is out of the country for a while!

**Something I'm pretty sure about**: This isn't my "normal" chapter. But if I called it an Epilogue, which it sort of is, some of you might have had a heart attack (or a shit fit) before you even opened the chapter...

**Something I'm positive about: **I couldn't have done this without Super Beta, aka JaspersDestiny. Well, I probably could have written it, but it never would have gone out into the world to be read. She's been an unending stream of support through the last three years, and I will love her long time. Also, all the help from other peeps in the fandom through the years, especially my fellow Bitches, has made all the difference in the world.

**Chapter 29**

"Does this glacier have a name?" Bella asked. She could feel Jasper shrug where he lay beside her on the ice field.

"Yeah, it does. It's Whiteout, or maybe Eklutna. I'm not sure which."

"Oh. Not nearly so cool a name as Bear Glacier. Bet Emmett doesn't like it nearly as much as that other one, huh?"

"Not really, no. I haven't been up here in decades. I had big plans for bringing you up here. I thought we'd be able to see the lights of Anchorage. I thought it'd be romantic."

"That's okay. It's really pretty anyway. I like the sky better than the lights of the city, anyway."

And it was pretty. There was a full moon out, and it reflected off the snow and ice to make it almost as light as day, especially to vampire eyes. Once again, they were able to just relax and enjoy it instead of waiting, or running, or fighting, or looking over their shoulders.

"How do you think Christina and Mstislav are doing?" she asked him, after a few moments of silence. "Do you think they got everything set up and he's safely restrained in a basement somewhere, or do you think he's running around Novosibirsk like a wild animal?"

"Christina sounded pretty hopeful in her last email that things were going to be under control."

"Yeah, she did. I still can't believe she moved over there to be with him."

"I would have done it for you," Jasper told her.

"Well, yeah...but I don't turn into a monster every month."

Jasper snorted. "When I fell in love with you, Bella, you were crazier than a shithouse rat. And that was EVERY day of the month. And it didn't stop me from following you to certain death and destruction."

"I don't know whether to be offended by that or comforted."

"Maybe you should just question _my_ sanity," he said, rolling out of the way of the hunk of ice she lazily tossed at him.

"So...did you enjoy the movie?"

"Not so much, no." She looked over at him and pretended to pout for a moment before turning back to study the sky.

Jasper laughed.

"I thought it might be easier going to a late show like that. Fewer humans and all. Guess not, huh?"

"No. I'm a little disappointed. I think I liked going to movies when I was human."

Jasper turned to look at her. "It gets easier."

"It's more the noise, really. The humans I can handle; the noise, not so much. It's so..._loud_." She turned to look at him again, an apology in her eyes.

He shrugged again. "It's no big deal. It was easier back before surround sound and all that shit. The little theatres, the old ones, are easier to handle. We can try one of those if we can find one. Other than that, how are you liking the trip?"

"LOVING the trip!" she said. "It's about freakin' time Carlisle said we could go. It's been three damn months since he first said we could originally!"

"We could have left at any time, Bella, if you really wanted to. We are not trapped there. I told you from the beginning, say the word, and we'll leave."

Bella sat up and leaned over him, looking him in the eye for a moment before speaking. "I'm not leaving, Jasper. I don't mind doing what Carlisle thinks is best. I just needed a BREAK."

"So, you're liking family life?"

She considered the question before answering. "Well...I liked it a lot better before _he_ arrived..."

"Jealous, Bella? A little sibling rivalry never hurt anybody, you know."

"I'm sure there're a lot of siblings out there that would argue that point, Jasper. And no, I'm not jealous. He's just driving me CRAZY. He never shuts up! Was I like that? I don't remember being like that! Besides, he's not my sibling, he's my...what, nephew?"

"I don't know. I suppose so. This is why we don't keep track of shit like this. Sires and mates. That's the extent of it. And coven siblings. So...he's your sibling. Suck it up."

"Too bad Peter and Charlotte couldn't take him to Europe with them. He certainly wanted to go. Natan could have helped them babysit him."

"Yeah, like Rose and Emmett would have allowed that. He's a baby, Bella, not something we want traveling internationally at less than one month old. Peter and Charlotte couldn't put off the trip to wait for him. And, no, he can't go now either. He's with Carlisle's coven. He's here until he decides on his own to leave, _after_ his first year is up, or until Carlisle tosses him out. They went over to cover up his disappearance, not to turn him loose on the public."

"And a bang up job they did of it, too. Blowing up a castle."

"It was a ruined castle...that allowed tours. It was the perfect cover. And it was a gas main that blew, not the castle. The castle is fine except for that one section."

"I still say we let Peter watch too much television while he was here. He's way too dramatic."

"Well, next time, maybe Carlisle will let _you_ go on the clean-up mission."

"I would have done a better job. Like, I don't know, maybe a cliff diving accident? Nothing that involved destruction of historical monuments, at least. I can believe Peter came up with it, but I can't believe Natan agreed to it. He seems like he was really into history and shit."

"Natan..." Jasper growled.

"Don't get started. He's gone now, and you'll probably never see him again. He said he'd call in anything interesting he runs across in his travels. I think you well and truly scared him off, Jasper."

"Maybe. We'll see. They're going to Romania next to check on the brothers. Peter and Charlotte will stick with him at least that far, for safety reasons. You know, you need a really good body match for cliff diving accidents. Fires and explosions are really the way to go. Any old body will do, almost. Not so for cliff diving. If you do ever need to hide a body, stick with fire."

"Whatever. Cliff diving could work. The fish could have eaten the body. That could be believable," Bella muttered.

"It could. It definitely could." Jasper laughed. "At any rate, it was taken care of. He's off the grid and in our laps. Who knew talking could be a vampire's gift, eh?"

"Oh, my God, what purpose would that even serve? You don't seriously think that's his gift, do you?"

Jasper laughed harder at the look of horror on her face. "No, I don't. Eleazar doesn't think he _has_a gift. He says Quin just talks a lot."

Bella snorted. _Eleazar_. The visit from the Denalis, put off for so long due to the fear of Bella attacking any unattached females, had finally occurred with the addition of the new family member. Carlisle thought it was time to make introductions—and re-introductions—all around, seeing as how none of them had seen Bella since she'd become a vampire. Bella thought she handled the whole thing wonderfully. Of course, the fact that Jasper dragged her out in the woods on an extended hunting trip soon after they arrived might have had something to do with it. At the rate things were going, it was entirely possible she would never have to interact much with her "cousins", the Denali sisters. First they'd been kept away because they weren't sure how she'd react as a newborn to someone who had had an interest in Edward. Now they were kept separate because they knew how she'd react to any single females around her new mate.

Carlisle said maybe in a decade or so. After all, Rose had been perfectly fine with the Denali girls' presence around Emmett. After the first few decades, at least. And if Rose could do it, Bella thought, so could she.

"Well, if Eleazar says so, I guess it must be true."

"Bella, Eleazar's gift—"

"I know. I didn't mean for it to sound snarky. It's just...Quin never shuts up."

"No, he sure doesn't. I kinda thought..." Jasper trailed off.

"Thought what?"

"Well...I thought maybe he and Alice..."

Bella sat up now and leaned over Jasper, looking him full in the face. "Seriously? Alice and Quin? Do you feel anything from them?"

Jasper sat up, too. "No. Well, that's not true... Quin's wanted to fuck all of you at one point or another. It's probably one of his top three things on his 'To Do' list at this stage in his life. Feed, Fuck, and Talk. And not necessarily in that order. But I'm not picking up anything past 'normal' newborn urges."

"Huh. Really? He wants me?" She didn't know how she felt about that. She'd been avoiding him as much as possible and hadn't noticed any signs of his interest.

"Don't take it personally, Bella. You were the same way. Only difference was, you had somebody—your mate—at hand for those urges. But all newborns have them. Poor Quin doesn't have an outlet for them. Well, he did for the week that the Denalis were here..."

"So...all that sniffing around Alice that he does has nothing to do with the fact that he's really interested in _her_."

"He might be. It's too difficult to tell right now. But no, if I had to guess, I'd say it's because she's the only female he can get near without being growled at. He _is_ a quick learner, I'll give him that much. I've only had to slap him down twice to get him to stay away from you." Jasper seemed rather pleased with himself at that information.

"Well, she doesn't seem at all interested in him. I was kind of hoping...you know...it would just be perfect, wouldn't it?"

"If you're trying to say what I think you're trying to say, I'm not sure it would be 'perfect' at all. Can you imagine those two together, as a team?" Jasper shuddered. "They'd be the death of us. I get tired just thinking about it. Alice never stops moving, and Quin never shuts up. They'd be like a perpetual motion machine."

"They're perfect for each other."

Jasper shook his head. "You just want her paired up and out of the 'threat zone'."

"Well...maybe. But seriously, can't you tell?"

"Tell what, if they're mates?"

"Yeah..."

"I feel emotions, Bella, not bonds. The man with that talent is gone, remember? All I get from Quin is thirst, lust, and curiosity. All I get from Alice in regards to Quin is annoyance. It's too soon to tell. There was no bond there before the change, and it's too soon to tell if one will form now. And, honestly, she'd have to at least be willing to talk to him, or let him get within five feet of her, for there to be even a CHANCE of something happening in that department. And I don't see that happening anytime soon. Alice is not about to make herself available, as it were, to a newborn. And from what I can tell, he drives her crazy. Sometimes mating just...happens. And sometimes both parties have to put a little work into it. But in either case, there at least has to be some true interest with both parties involved."

"So...which way is better? You've got to be, like, the world's expert on vampire mating now, don't you? You've had it both ways."

"Hmmm...one thing all this 'experience' has taught me, Bella, is to not answer questions like that. Both ways work, and that's what matters. I'm perfectly happy at having to work for it. And, may I point out, I'm not the ONLY vampire to have had it both ways."

"Well...that's true. But I don't think I've had to work too hard with you. All I've done is run. You've done all the chasing!"

"It's been worth every mile, Bella. And don't sell yourself short—I may have to handle your crazy, but you have to put up with my bullshit."

"Hmmm...you're right."

"It HAS been known to happen, on occasion. So, what do you want to do now?"

"I think I want to run." She grinned at the look on his face. "But...not too far!" She jumped to her feet and reached out to shove him over into the snow before taking off at a run across the icefield.

With a laugh, he was on his feet and chasing after her.

~The End~


End file.
